The Panda Might Be Knocked Up

Jen Chaney — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:02:00 GMT

How much would it suck if human pregnancies worked like panda ones?

Mei Xiang, the possible panda mama at Washington D.C.'s National Zoo, might be pregnant. Zoo officials detected a rise in her progestin levels, which is a sign that she could be carrying another baby panda -- she gave birth to Tai Shan back in 2005 -- but not necessarily.

See, pandas can apparently have pseudo-pregnancies, which, according to this Washington Post story, involve "physical, hormonal and behavioral changes that mimic the real thing" even though no fetus has developed. So she gets to suffer from morning sickness, mood swings and all sorts of other unpleasantries for nothing? And no one can even tell she's pregnant so everyone just thinks she's Bitchy Panda for no reason? That's just not right.

To make matters worse, if she actually is with-panda, it's very possible no one will know for certain until she gives birth in mid- to late-July; apparently, panda fetuses develop so quickly that pregnancies often are not confirmed until the little one is almost here. Translation: No shower for Mei Xiang!

Still, the payoff is worth it. Look how cute Tai Shan was when he was a baby.

Image: Cottontimer.com

Strollerderby : Tai Shan

The Panda Might Be Knocked Up