You can't hurry love: Edinburgh giant pandas fail to mate under pressure of the 'love tunnel' - Daily Telegraph
Tian Tian at Edinburgh Zoo
Tian Tian, also known as Sweetie, “rolled in his hay”, while Sunshine rubbed his head “all over her tree”. This was deemed to be frisky behaviour by panda standards.
Sunshine has also been eating twice his normal intake of bamboo for the past two weeks in an apparent bid to "build up his strength", while Sweetie has been cutting down – both said to be positive developments.
The zoo also pointed out that as both have had cubs in the past they are undoubtedly “pandas of the world” and should know what to do. You get the distinct impression the PR staff are enjoying this story.
Yang Guang suffered colic earlier this year
The zoo even issued a statement saying the nation was “on tenterhooks”, and shortly before they were thrown together, Sweetie did all a panda could do to interest a mate.
She called to him, rolled over to display her rear and performed handstands as the anxious Sunshine looked on.
With the panda cam switched off, and the bears hidden from public view, keepers then drew up the gate between their enclosures for the first time since their arrival in Scotland in December.
Queue fireworks? Not exactly. Darren McGarry, head of animals, said: “He did mount her straight away, but no actual copulation took place.
“It is now a question of trying to tantalise him and get him a bit more interested. After ten minutes she started to get fed up because it was not happening, so we separated them at that point.”
They were kept apart for 20 minutes, before being put together again – only for Sunshine to repeat his earlier performance. By mid-afternoon, both were sleeping off the stress of it all in their own enclosures.
Another three attempts were made by early evening, with the same result each time. Yang Guang “behaved like a gent”, which was not strictly required, and failed to do what a panda only occasionally has to do.
However, staff at the zoo – which is paying China pounds600,000 a year for a ten-year loan of Sweetie and Sunshine – remain positive. They will try again another day in the hope that it will be sixth, seventh or eighth time lucky...before the moment passes for another year.
No pressure then Sunshine.
Have a cake instead ?
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
February 5, 2012 at Zoo Atlanta: Photo evidence of the recent decision by Zoo Atlanta to keep PO with Lun Lun for 2-1/2 years ... to put Lun Lun's estrus cycle more in line with a spring pregnancy and late summer 2013 birth (if possible) ... But it's totally up to Lun Lun as to how long she will TOLERATE PO ... LOL
Giant Pandas are a critically endangered speciies. If you would like to learn more and/or help us with our efforts to save them, visit www.pandasinternational.org.
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