Is Ya Ya Pregnant?

That is the big question at the Memphis Zoo these days. Ya Ya, the zoo's female giant panda, has been exhibiting signs of pregnancy including irritability, restlessness, and loss of appetite. Ya Ya underwent artificial insemination in January, but it is common for giant pandas to experience psuedopregnancies after such a procedure. Only an ultrasound toward the end of the gestational period can confirm the panda's pregnancy. Until an ultrasound shows that she is or is not pregnant, Ya Ya will be monitored 24 hours a day by zoo staff.

Photo courtesy of the Memphis Zoo