Results of Giant Panda Pregnancy Tests Unclear
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From Times Wire Reports
The National Zoo’s giant panda, Mei Xiang, might be pregnant, scientists said. Or she could be in the midst of a pseudopregnancy.
Scientists suspect a pregnancy because they spotted a rise in Mei Xiang’s progestin hormone levels, but ultrasound scans have detected no evidence of a fetal panda, the Washington zoo said in a statement.
Panda fetuses do not start developing until the last weeks of a gestation period, so zoo veterinarians said they were not surprised that no fetus was evident.
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