Washington ? As early as Monday, the signs were not looking good. The National Zoo’s female giant panda, Mei Xiang, was exhibiting some behaviors of pregnancy, but not all of them. The ultrasound scans of her uterus were inconclusive. And the level of certain hormones in her body were saying that her annual pregnancy cycle was over.

Plus, there was no cub.

The zoo announced Wednesday that, taking all factors into consideration, their panda was once again not pregnant.

The conclusion was reached, the zoo said, after experts studied the array of physical, behavioral and chemical clues.

“Based on current hormone analyses, and not having seen a fetus during the ultrasound exams, Zoo researchers have determined that Mei Xiang experienced a pseudopregnancy,” the zoo said in a statement.

The zoo had placed the panda on 24-hour pregnancy watch Friday, and officials had high hopes that Mei Xiang might be pregnant. She was artificially inseminated twice in January.