No bun in the oven for panda that loves extra buns

Hopes that tiny panda paws would be seen in the world's first live broadcast of a cub delivery were dashed on Tuesday when Chinese experts suggested the "mother" may have been focusing more on extra bun rations than giving birth.

The slated star of the show, giant panda Ai Bang, had shown signs of pregnancy last month at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, according to Xinhua News Agency.

A live broadcast of the event was planned, but Xinhua said her "behavior and physiological indexes returned to normal", citing experts who said she experienced a "phantom pregnancy".