National Zoo's giant panda cub dies (CBS News) The giant panda cub born last Sunday at the Smithsonian's National Zoo has died, zoo officials announced. A statement released Sunday morning said that panda keepers and volunteers heard a "distress vocalization" from the mother, Mei Xiang, at 9:17 a.m. Veterinarian staff was notified and the panda cam turned off. Staff members were able to safely retrieve the cub at 10:22 a.m. and perform CPR and other life-saving measures but the cub did not respond. The medical staff's first observations were that the ?cub - weighing just under 100 grams - showed no outward sign of trauma or infection. Mei Xiang is under close observation. A press conference will be held at the zoo at 1 p.m.