Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute (WASHINGTON) — On the day after Thanksgiving, it’s not unusual for many to regret overeating, and this year one of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s giant panda cubs is likely one of those who wishes he could take a few bites back.
Bei Bei, a 19-month-old panda living at the zoo in Washington, D.C., underwent emergency bowel surgery Friday morning to remove a “dense, lemon-sized mass of bamboo,” the zoo said in a press release.
The blockage was large enough to be considered life-threatening, but the procedure was successful and Bei Bei is now recovering.
“Bei Bei’s prognosis is very good,” Dennis Kelly, director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, in a statement. “The challenge will be for our team to monitor him safely and that requires his cooperation. We will keep everyone up to speed as he recovers.”
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