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The cub was born Sept. 16, making it the first panda to be born at the zoo since 2005, reports The Daily Beast.

Experts said it was unlikely that the baby's mother, Mei Xiang, would become pregnant. So it was a surprise when it was announced that she was pregnant at all since she has had five consecutive false pregnancies.

Zoo officials told USA Today that panda keepers heard a cry of distress from Mei Xiang. The keepers called veterinarians who performed a variety of lifesaving measures, all to no avail.

The cub showed no signs of trauma or infection. Baby pandas are often crushed by their mothers who are about 1,000 times heavier than their cubs.

[View the story "Giant Panda Cub Dies" on Storify]

Reach Senior News Editor Hannah Madans here.