4 times 'love' is ... 1 bar

This year's American National Zoo will no longer be happy to welcome a newly born panda. After many attempts, the panda Mei Xiang still did not conceive.

Her hormonal content increased after artificial insemination and decreased at the end of last week, a sign that a baby bear may have formed. But the ultrasound results showed no fetuses. The zoo officials concluded she was not pregnant. Such false pregnancies are common in pandas, and Mei Xiang has 4 times disappointed.

Her only child, Tai Shan, will be 2 years old next Monday. He lives in an isolated area from his mother and is loved by visitors.

Mei Xiang has been fertilized by the sperm of a panda at the San Diego zoo. The National Zoo will consider whether to let Mei Xiang continue to breed in 2008.

There are about 1,600 large pandas living in nature and less than 180 live in captivity.

(Photo: Ron Edmonds)

MT