A lack of oxygen due to underdeveloped lungs caused the death of
a newborn giant panda at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in
Washington, officials said Thursday. The 4-ounce cub, who had
not yet been named, died in September, six days after its birth.
The zoo's chief veterinarian, Dr. Suzan Murray, said the death
resulted from lung and liver damage linked with "not enough
oxygen getting to the liver." "This is most likely due to the
lungs that were not fully formed, that were impeding the flow,
the proper absorption of oxygen, which then led to the death of
the liver cells," she said. The cub, conceived through
artificial insemination, was 14-year-old mother Mei's second in
seven years with 15-year-old Tian Tian, the zoo's male giant
panda. A pathology report and necropsy determined the cub had a
"small amount of milk," in its gastro-intestinal system,
suggesting she had nursed with her mother, who was seen Thursday
in an outdoor area where officials announced the findings. Tian
Tian was also seen nearby, munc