Panda Cub Who Died Had Bad Liver

Fewer than 1,600 giant pandas are known to exist in the wild, and about 300 live in zoos and wildlife centers around the world.

The death of a six-day-old giant panda cub at the National Zoo in Washington—an agonizing blow to wildlife conservation efforts—could be linked to an abnormal liver, the zoo's chief veterinarian said on Monday.

A day after the zoo's staff failed to revive the cub with lifesaving measures, including CPR, the initial results of an examination showed the panda was likely a female whose body displayed no obvious signs of trauma or infection.

"Her coat was beautiful. It was in very good condition," veterinarian Suzan Murray said at a press conference.