This post was updated at 4:40 p.m. on Aug. 14. 

In the darkest of times, a glimmer of hope: The Smithsonian National Zoo could soon welcome a baby giant panda.

Veterinarians discovered what looks like fetal tissue in giant panda Mei Xiang’s ultrasound on Friday, according to the National Zoo. If the tissue continues to develop, Mei Xiang could give birth as soon as this weekend.

Smithsonian National Zoo spokesperson Pamela Baker-Masson says that Mei Xieng’s ultrasound confirms that she is, in fact, pregnant, but that a healthy birth is not guaranteed.

“Mei Xiang is pregnant confirmed from the ultrasound. BUT, pandas are complicated and we have every hope for a successful healthy birth, but we are NOT guaranteed that,” Baker-Masson writes in an email to DCist.

🐼🤞 Our vets detected tissue consistent with fetal development during giant panda Mei Xiang’s ultrasound today. It's too early to tell if the tissue is a viable developing fetus. 🐾 Paws crossed for a healthy cub or cubs. Watch live on the 🖥️ panda cam! https://t.co/hYJCDyVbuB

— National Zoo (@NationalZoo) August 14, 2020

“In the middle of a pandemic, this is a joyful moment we can all get excited about,” said Don Neiffer, chief veterinarian at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in a press release.

The zoo says that there is a high possibility that the fetal tissue will “resorb” into Mei Xieng’s body, but they will continue to monitor her hormone levels and behavior. If she were to give birth, she’d be the oldest giant panda to ever do so,  Baker-Masson told the Washington Post. 

Mei Xiang, who just celebrated her 22nd birthday on July 22, was artificially inseminated back in late March, using the frozen semen of the zoo’s 22-year-old male panda Tian Tian. The zoo says it has been conducting ultrasounds on Mei Xieng since July, and that her recent behavior — sleeping more, eating less, nest-building, and body licking —  point to pregnancy. If the fetus holds, the newborn would join three other surviving cubs of Mei Xiang: Tai Shan, Bao Bao, and the beloved Bei Bei, who left D.C. for China last fall. 

The David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat is closed to give Mei Xiang some alone time, but you can watch 24-hour coverage of her on the panda cam.

This story was updated to include a comment from Smithsonian National Zoo spokesperson Pamela Baker-Masson.