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Baby panda born at National Zoo in Washington

Posted at 2:13 PM, Sep 17, 2012
and last updated 2012-09-17 14:15:09-04

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNN) - A furry delivery overnight at the National Zoo in Washington.  

Mei Xiang, the zoo's giant female panda gave birth to a cub late on Sunday.  

The cub was the product of artificial insemination.  

Veterinarians haven't been able to check the little one over yet, as the mother bonds with her newborn.  But they have been keeping a close eye on the pair using this 24 hour panda-cam.

"We'll follow the Chinese tradition of waiting for 100 days but our plan is to let the people of Washington help us name the cub," said  Dennis Kelly, Director of Smithsonian National Zoo.

The new mother will most likely not emerge from her den, or eat or drink, for at least a week.  Mei Xiang has long displayed signs of longing for a second cub, with five consecutive pseudo-pregnancies since 2007.