DC zoo will try again for exam of baby panda

DC zoo will try again for exam of baby panda

DC zoo will try again for exam of baby panda

WASHINGTON (AP) — A team of panda caretakers at Washington’s National Zoo will have to wait at least one more day to get the first close look at a day-old panda cub during an exam.

The minutes-long health assessment was planned for Saturday, but panda mom Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) didn’t give keepers an opportunity to take her cub, which is about the size of a stick of butter. Zookeepers will try again Sunday. During the exam, they’ll try to listen to the cub’s heart and lungs, record its weight and collect a DNA sample.

The cub born Friday evening is Mei Xiang’s third, but the cub she gave birth to last year died after living just a week. Before that, her last cub was born in 2005.

Zookeepers plan to be more hands-on with this cub after last year’s death.