Washington’s National Zoo Welcomes a Baby Panda

Giant panda at DC’s National Zoo gives birth today August 23, 2013.

August 23, 2013 BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS:
WASHINGTON – A giant panda at Washington’s National Zoo has given birth to her third cub.

Zoo officials say Mei Xiang’s water broke at 3:36 p.m. Friday and she gave birth at 5:32 p.m. Her second cub died last fall. A cub in 2005 survived.

The zoo began monitoring Mei Xiang around the clock Aug. 7 in case she was pregnant. Zoo officials had said they could not be sure if the panda was pregnant because she would not permit them to examine her closely.

Photo Credit (AP) – In this Oct. 11, 2012, file photo Mei Xiang, a giant female panda, rests at the National Zoo in Washington.