National Zoo’s Giant Panda Mei Xiang Gave Birth To A Cub, Breaking Records

TOPLINE

Mei Xiang, the Smithsonian National Zoo’s 22-year-old female giant panda, gave birth to a cub on Friday, making her the oldest giant panda to give birth in the United States and giving Washington, D.C. its first giant panda cub in five years.

KEY FACTS

further background

This is Mei Xiang’s fourth surviving cub after Tai Shan, Bao Bao and Bei Bei, who have all been moved to China as part of the zoo’s cooperative breeding agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Although the zoo has reopened with limited hours and entry due to Covid-19, the panda house at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat is closed to provide quiet for Mei Xiang and her cub whose gender will be revealed at a later date.

tangent

The David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat is designed to mimic the pandas’ natural habitat in China. Rubenstein, one of three billionaire founders of private equity firm Carlyle Group, has donated $9 million to the panda program since 2011. 

further reading

Giant Panda Cub Born at Smithsonian’s National Zoo (Statement)

David M. Rubenstein (Forbes)