Copenhagen Zoo has lowered its expectations of panda cubs this year, after repeated scans of the female panda Mao Sun have shown no sign of a fetus.
DR reported on August 15, 2026 that the latest ultrasound scans of Mao Sun at Zoologisk Have in Copenhagen have revealed nothing. Zoological director Mads Frost Bertelsen told Ritzau that the window in which a fetus could grow is now so small that the zoo is beginning to scale back its expectations.
According to Bertelsen, Mao Sun is scanned two to three times a week, and staff have still not been able to see anything in the uterus. He said hope has not been abandoned, because a panda fetus lies dormant for many months and only grows in earnest at the very end of gestation.
Bertelsen added that a pregnancy cannot be completely ruled out, but that something would have to happen very soon. For now, he said, the zoo is crossing its fingers, scanning, and hoping that a small fetus, or two, is hidden in a corner of the uterus.
First insemination after six seasons
The zoo tried six times to get its two pandas to mate naturally, without success, and therefore chose to inseminate Mao Sun for the first time this year. In a press release published on April 14, 2026 via Ritzau, Copenhagen Zoo said the procedure followed methods used at Chinese breeding centers, which point to a pregnancy rate of roughly 40 percent.
Pregnancy in pandas is difficult to read, Bertelsen said. After mating, or in this case insemination, fetal development pauses for several months, and even once it resumes, a fetus can be hard to spot on scans. He noted that a female can also show every sign of pregnancy without carrying a cub, a so-called false pregnancy, so behavior cannot be used as a marker.
TV 2 reported on July 24, 2026 that the zoo was preparing its facilities and staff for a possible cub, while warning about the risk of a false pregnancy. TV 2 Kosmopol reported on August 7, 2026 that Mao Sun had stopped eating as usual and had begun building a nest and lying in the birthing den.
The same outlet noted that ultrasound images taken around the insemination indicated two ovulations, meaning twins were possible if Mao Sun was pregnant. BT reported on August 15, 2026 that her reduced appetite has made the uterus easier to see on scans, but that the images still show no clear signs of pregnancy.
Copenhagen Zoo, one of the best known zoos in Denmark, said in July that it expected to be able to confirm or rule out a pregnancy between the middle and the end of August, according to DR.
