Panda Gives Birth To Fifth Cub

Bai Yun, arguably the most reproductive captive panda, gave birth to her fifth and possibly last cub on August 5th at 5:00am.

Bai Yun, who lives at the San Diego Zoo, became world famous when she gave birth to the United States' first surviving panda cub (Hua Mei) in 1999. She has given birth to healthy cubs every two years since 2003: Mei Sheng, Su Lin, and Zhen Zhen. However, her most recent birth could be her last, though zoo officials are hoping to get at least one more cub from her.

"We are getting to the point where we have to wonder if this is her last or not", stated zoo conservation specialist Megan Owen. "That said, she could very easily have another cub in 2011. We just don't know yet."

In captivity, giant pandas live to be around 25-28. Bai Yun turns 18 next month, so it's easy to see why her future fertility is so controversial. Owen says that this is a "wait and see" kind of situation to be addressed in 2011.

As for her current bundle of joy, the 4 ounce cub appears "healthy and robust", and there don't seem to be any issues with the way in which its mother is caring for it. Gender is yet to be determined, and the cub will be named 100 days after its birth, as is Chinese custom.