EXPERTS at Edinburgh Zoo are still clinging to hope that panda Tian Tian may yet give birth to a cub.
On Monday, the zoo revealed that bad news was anticipated, after the panda's due date passed without any sign of labour. Urine analysis also suggested she may no longer be pregnant.
However, sources at the zoo insisted that the birth of a live cub had still not been completely ruled out. While earlier this week it had been suggested that there may be news by yesterday, it is understood that a pregnancy will now not be ruled out until some point next week.Tian Tian was successfully inseminated artificially. She is still displaying some behaviours typical of a pregnant panda, however, scientific analysis of hormone levels in her urine led to hopes fading that she could still be pregnant.
Panda pregnancies are notoriously difficult and Tian Tian miscarried her cub last year. The panda enclosure remains closed while experts continue to monitor Tian Tian.
The zoo has emphasised that the pregnancy was definitely not a pseudo or phantom pregnancy, saying that in recent months Tian Tian had the profile of a pregnant panda likely to carry to full term.
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