Mei Xiang has found a new position for holding her newborn cub and in that position she is able to get "much more rest," Laurie Thompson, assistant curator of giant pandas with the Smithsonian's National Zoo here, said on Monday.
Mei Xiang, 22, continues to be "a devoted mother," Thompson wrote in an update. "Our newborn cub has little fur and cannot regulate its own body temperature, so Mei Xiang cradles the cub to keep it warm."
The curator pointed out the female giant panda has been laying "on her side with the cub between her forearms," which allows for "quick access when mom needs to calm it with a lick." Previously, Mei Xiang kept her cubs tucked under her arm.
"Mei Xiang is able to get much more rest in this position," she said, adding that the giant panda team is keeping an eye out for the cub's black markings, which become visible after it turns one week old.
Mei Xiang gave birth to the cub on Aug. 21, the seventh since she and male giant panda Tian Tian began living in the zoo in 2000. Three of her cubs have survived to adulthood.
She was artificially inseminated in March this year with frozen semen collected from Tian Tian. Veterinarians confirmed evidence of a fetus on an ultrasound earlier this month, which was a surprise even for professionals, considering a very low fertility rate for giant pandas and, particularly, Mei Xiang's age.
The zoo, located in Northwest Washington, D.C., has a cooperative breeding agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association on giant pandas.
