Zoo Atlanta has a new panda

Zoo Atlanta’s most famous mother-to-be gave birth late Saturday night to a cub.

Lun Lun, the giant panda that captured the hearts of metro area residents in 2006 with the birth of her daughter Mei Lan, had her second baby at 10:10 p.m. Saturday.

Courtesy Zoo Atlanta

Lun Lun cradles her newborn panda cub.

ALLEN SULLIVAN / aesullivan@ajc

Panda Lun Lun is shown on a live monitor tending to a cub she delivered on Saturday night at Zoo Atlanta.

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Renee' Hannans Henry/AJC

Lun Lun, seen in a photo taken last week, had her second baby at Zoo Atlanta on Saturday night.

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“I’m very excited,” said the zoo’s Chief Executive Officer Dennis Kelly. “The cub squealed just as loud as Mei Lan when she was born.”

[ Send your best wishes to Lun Lun below. ]

The birth was viewable on a live stream of the panda that had been set up on several Web sites, including www.ajc.com.

The 230-pound bear had gone into labor about 1:30 p.m. Saturday when her water broke, officials said. The zoo initially said she could be in labor for up to 48 hours. Lun Lun was in labor for 36 hours with Mei Lan, a record for a panda birth.

Staffers will continue to monitor the mother panda to see if she has a second cub, which would come several hours later than the first. Kelly, however, said the chances of a second cub were looking slim.

Kelly said just before giving birth, Lun Lun made it clear that the moment was near.

“There was a loud honk from Lun Lun,” he said. “Immediately after that bark, the cub came out.”

The infant appears to be about 4.5 ounces, a little larger than Mei Lan was at birth, Kelly said. It — the gender will not be known for some time — also appears to be doing well.

After squealing on the ground for a few seconds, Lun Lun scooped the cub up in her arms and immediately cradled it.

“She’s cuddling the cub,” he said. “She’s trying to keep the cub warm and trying to get it to nurse. That’s instinctual.”

The first 24 hours are crucial because that is when the mother transfers antibodies in her colostrum, or milk, Kelly said.

It will be several weeks before Lun Lun releases the cub for others to see, he said. The staff will monitor her progress, including making sure she eats to keep up her strength, but will otherwise leave her alone to parent.

“It’s unlikely we’ll touch the cub for a while,” Kelly said.

Lauren Jarrell, a spokeswoman for the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the panda’s birth, along with new additions to the Georgia Aquarium including the nation’s first manta ray, help keep the city on a national and international stage.

“These panda births are absolutely unique and rare and certainly put us in the eyes of tourists as a place where things are happening,” she said. “It says Atlanta is an exciting place to visit.”