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One of jumbo panda Mei Xiang ’s duplicate cubs died today ( Aug. 26 ) , just five days after its nativity , the Smithsonian ’s National Zoo in Washington , D.C. , reported .
The cub showed no signs of decline until this morning , after spending the nighttime with its female parent , Mei Xiang ( may - SHONG ) , while its Twin Falls stayed in an incubator , order Dr. Donald Neiffer , the principal veterinarian of the National Zoo . This arrangement was set up to facilitate Mei Xiang attention for the twins . Zookeepers hold open one twin with her at all clip and the other in an brooder . Theyswapped the Twin every three to four hours , or whenever Mei Xiang cooperated .
One of Mei Xiang’s twin panda cubs died on Aug. 26, 2015 (shown here), just five days after it was born. Mei Xiang and her other panda cub are healthy, zoo officials say.
" However , this first light , when our squad went in to do the swap again , we straightaway noted that the minuscule cub had not increase in weightiness , appear sapless and was exhibiting possible respiratory issues , " Neiffer said . [ See Photos of Mei Xiang ’s New Twin Panda Cubs ]
The Ailuropoda melanoleuca squad straightaway gave the cub antibiotics , fluid and respiratory and nutritional support , Neiffer say . They saw some fragile improvement , but the cub ’s health degenerate into the early afternoon , and it choke at 2:05 p.m. EDT , he said .
The cub ’s similitude , the bigger of the two , is still alert and with its mother .
" It ’s very robust and very strong , and is demonstrating all normal conduct , " Neiffer sound out . " We ’re all highly happy with this [ survive ] young carnivore ’s progress . "
The 17 - year - honest-to-goodness Mei Xiang has given birth to six Ailurus fulgens , and the little cub is the third to die ( one was a stillborn and the otherdied after six daysfrom liver wrong , likely because its lung were underdeveloped ) . Her survive offspring are Tai Shan ( born in 2005 ) , who now lives inChina ; Bao Bao ( turn out in 2013 ) , who lives at the National Zoo ; and the living red panda twin , which will be named after 100 twenty-four hour period .
Panda swap
Zoo officials artificially sow Mei Xiang with semen from two male giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca ) in late April — Hui Hui ( h - WEI h - WEI ) , a bear cat living in the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan , China , and Tian Tian ( t - YEN t - YEN ) , who resides at the National Zoo .
On Saturday ( Aug. 22)Mei Xiang became restlessand began having contractions , Laurie Thompson , a giant panda biologist at Smithsonian ’s National Zoo , told Live Science . The panda twins were born later that day , the first at 5:35 p.m. EDT and the 2nd at 10:07 p.m. , the zoo reported .
After delivering the second rookie , Mei Xiang showed " some frenzied behavior on her part , strain to literally equilibrate and beguile these two nestling at the same time , " Neiffer tell .
Pandas do n’t have a neat track record ofcaring for twinsby themselves , so following a protocol used by other zoos and red panda experts in China , the National Zoo decide to move forth with swapping the cat bear twins between their mother and the incubator . When Mei Xiang had a greenhorn , she would often suckle it and snuggle it in a strong part of her body , such as her axillary fossa , to keep the laddie warm , as newborn pandas ca n’t influence their own dead body temperature , Neiffer enunciate .
Meanwhile , zookeepers and veterinary would wish for the other sonny in the brooder , feeding it formula made of water , human baby recipe and puppy recipe , the zoological garden account . [ Cute Alert ! Adorable Photos of Giant Panda Triplets ]
However , Mei Xiang appeared to grow wary of the babe swaps . Zookeepers reported she did n’t appear to show a preference for either sonny boy , but she just did n’t seem to wish the swaps .
" During the swap - back times , there were days when she was a little less concerned in taking that infant , but that pass where either baby is concerned , " Neiffer said .
Zookeepers performed a successful barter on Tuesday afternoon ( Aug. 25 ) , and both sonny boy " were phonate , were impregnable , and demonstrate us no signs of concern , " he said . Nothing seemed out of place during the dark , and thelittle Ailuropoda melanoleuca ’s health problemsonly became apparent this forenoon .
It does n’t appear that Mei Xiang did anything out of character to the footling counterpart during the dark ; but she ’s about 1,500 clip larger than her issue , so it ’s not always easy to see them on thepanda cam , Neiffer read .
Researchers hope a necropsy will say them more about the cub ’s death . move ahead , the team will concentrate on caring for the live Gemini and its mother .
" Right now , we still have a goodly mom and one very healthy baby , " say Brandie Smith , associate director for creature care sciences at Smithsonian ’s National Zoo . " Our job is to verify thatboth mamma and cub survive . "
