One of the two giant panda cubs born Saturday at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has died, the zoo announced Wednesday. From the Washington Post:
Zoo officials said the smaller of two panda cubs had been faltering. The cub had been regurgitating and not keeping on weight.
When the cub was born, it weighed just 3 ounces, while its twin weighed 4.8 ounces.
The panda’s mother, a 17-year-old animal named Mei Xiang, had refused since Monday to care for the smaller cub, the paper reports. Mei Xiang has given birth to three surviving offspring and three cubs that have died or were stillborn.
