Ling-Ling’s Eggs Could Possibly Be Used in Birth of a ‘Test Tube’ Cub

Ling-Ling, the National Zoo giant panda that died Wednesday, may still help give birth to a “test tube” cub because eggs saved from her ovaries could eventually be placed in another panda in an effort to reproduce the dwindling species, zoo officials said Thursday.

Ling-Ling, beloved resident of the zoo for 21 years, died of heart failure at age 23, a ripe old age for a panda, zoo officials told a news conference.

She “lived a good, long life” and apparently did not suffer before her death, pathologist Richard Montali said.

Zoo officials said they harvested about 100 eggs from Ling-Ling’s ovaries after her death.

They hope to fertilize the eggs with sperm from Hsing-Hsing, Ling-Ling’s mate and the only other giant panda in the United States, and freeze the fertilized eggs for eventual placement in a female panda.

Veterinarian R. Mitchell Bush said the eggs are being developed like tissue cultures, and it will not be known for about a week whether they are viable.

Other efforts at breeding Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing have had sad results, as the cubs either were stillborn or died quickly from infections.

Zoo officials said that while they would love to receive a giant panda replacement for Ling-Ling, who was a gift in 1972 of the Chinese government, they would seek a replacement only under an international cooperative breeding agreement.

There are only about 1,000 giant pandas surviving in China, and fewer than 15 in zoos outside their homeland.