Spring is in the air, and baby panda-making is in the minds of
zookeepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo — if not those of
their panda charges. Zookeepers have decided to artificially
inseminate female giant panda Mei Xiang, at the Washington,
D.C., zoo today (April 30), and live tweet the proceedings. It's
the second try, after a first insemination Sunday. "One of our
repro experts, Dr. Aiken-Palmer holds the next vial of 100,000
million sperm. 'It only takes one!'" tweeted Dave Wildt,
National Zoo reproductive scientist and head of the Center for
Species Survival. The scientists are trying this technological
intervention after a natural attempt fell flat. [Video: Panda
Mating Dance] "Veterinarians performed an artificial
insemination Sunday night after they determined no competent
natural breeding had occurred between Mei Xiang and male giant
panda, Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN)," zoo officials wrote in a
statement. The two pandas have successfully bred before — Mei
Xiang gave birth to cub Tai Shan in 2005