Panda cub which died at US zoo had liver abnormalities
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Mei Xiang, a Giant Panda is seen in the Giant Panda habitat and Asia Trail on Oct 11, 2006 at the National Zoo in Washington DC. Officials at the US National Zoo say the six-day-old panda cub that died had abnormalities on its liver and fluid in its abdomen, but they do not yet know the cause of death. -- PHOTO: AFP
WASHINGTON (AP) - National Zoo officials say the six-day-old panda cub that died had abnormalities on its liver and fluid in its abdomen, but they do not yet know the cause of death.
Officials say they believe the cub was female, although they are not completely sure. They expect to know more once a necropsy is completed within two weeks.
Zoo officials said the 113-gram cub showed no obvious signs of distress before making its final recorded noise on Sunday morning. The cub's mother, Mei Xiang made an unusual honking sound that her keepers interpreted as a distress call.
Zoo officials say Mei Xiang has begun to eat again and has come out of her den. They say she is cradling a plastic toy at night in what may be a display of maternal instinct.
