Mei Xiang Pregnancy Update
June 15 Update:
Mei Xiang continues to spend most of her time indoors, resting on the mountain structure and adding to her nest. She is still participating in ultrasounds, which are now occurring three times a week, but she’s becoming even more sensitive to noises around her. Over the weekend, when keepers attempted to re-shave her belly, she was easily distracted by the sound of the clippers as well as the birds calling over the training cage.
Mei Xiang has also become pickier when it comes to the kinds of produce she’s eating. She has been leaving her cooked sweet potatoes (usually a favorite treat) for the past several days. Also, during Monday’s ultrasound, she refused to take any apple pieces, and would only train for pear rewards. When the ultrasound was completed, she cradled her half-pear “jackpot” for several minutes before consuming most, but not all, of it. Her behavior continues to keep us guessing.
Source: National Zoo
