Giant Pandas.

Mei Xiang and Tai Shan kickin' it in D.C. DumbYellowDog, Flickr Still bummed about yesterday's news that Ming Ming, the world's oldest giant panda, is dead? Yeah, us too. But the universe taketh away, and the universe giveth. Maybe. Scientists at the National Zoo in D.C. are saying that there's reason to believe that their panda, Mei Xiang, might be--might be--pregnant following artificial insemination in January, according to the Associated Press. Yesterday the zoo announced that Mei Xiang's hormone levels are on the rise, which could indicate a pregnancy. It's difficult to tell for sure because giant panda fetuses don't develop until the end of the gestation period... one of several ...

Giant pandas live for about 15 years in the wild, or 22 in captivity. donjd2, Flickr Sad news for animal lovers today as Ming Ming, the world's oldest giant panda, has died at the age of 34. Ming Ming died on May 7, but the Chinese state media reported the news only just today, according to Agence France. The cause of death was kidney failure due to old age. Ming Ming died at the Xiangjiang Wild Animal World, where she had been living since 1998. Before that, she traveled to zoos all over the world, including London and Ireland, according to the New York Daily News. While the death of any one of these highly endangered animals is tragic, there is some comfort in knowing that Ming Ming's ...