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Edinburgh zoo halts giant panda breeding programme Edinburgh zoo halts giant panda breeding programme
(about 3 hours later)
Edinburgh zoo has suspended its giant panda breeding programme for at least a year after failing five times to produce cubs through artificial insemination. Edinburgh zoo has suspended its giant panda breeding programme for at least a year only a few weeks after the man in charge quit his job there.
The zoo, run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), said it needed to reassess its strategies before making a final decision on whether to again put its female Tian Tian through artificial insemination. A source at Edinburgh zoo confirmed that Iain Valentine, its director of animals, conservation and education, quit last month after more than a decade championing the pandas’ acquisition and then leading the breeding programme.
“We will not attempt to breed our giant pandas this year because we want to further assess the incredibly complex and unpredictable breeding process,” a spokeswoman said. The source insisted there was no connection with the decision not to try artificial insemination with Tian Tian this year, after five years of failed attempts, and Valentine’s departure.
Valentine’s resignation is a blow to the zoo. He had been the architect of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s decision to bid for a breeding pair of giant pandas, first proposing it in 2008 despite considerable scepticism.
Tian Tian and her mate Yang Guang arrived in Edinburgh in December 2011 on a 10-year loan, as part of a £2.6bn trade deal, and were welcomed by Nicola Sturgeon, then deputy first minister of Scotland, and Michael Moore, the Scottish secretary.
Tian Tian had twins in China in 2009, but the RZSS only tried natural mating once at Edinburgh zoo, in 2012. It subsequently used artificial insemination with Yang Guang’s semen and defrosted semen from a panda that had successfully bred at Berlin zoo.
One source said Valentine had complained that military jets taking part in Edinburgh’s military tattoo would fly over the zoo during August, at a crucial moment in the panda’s pregnancy, just as she was close to birth.
Valentine also felt there may have been links between Tian Tian’s failure to give birth and seasonal changes in Edinburgh’s daylight levels. Because the city is further north than their natural home in China, the longer days in summer and longer nights in winter may have upset her hormones.
In a statement issued on Monday, which made no mention of Valentine’s departure, the zoo said it needed to “further assess the incredibly complex and unpredictable breeding process.
“This pause, which is supported by our giant panda team and other key specialists, will allow us further time to consider the scientific data, our own experiences and those of colleagues around the world, including the latest thinking on giant panda accommodation.”“This pause, which is supported by our giant panda team and other key specialists, will allow us further time to consider the scientific data, our own experiences and those of colleagues around the world, including the latest thinking on giant panda accommodation.”
The RZSS loaned Tian Tian and Yang Guang from China for 10 years in 2011, for a fee of $1m (£720,000) a year, as part of a £2.6bn trade deal. The decision may greatly cut down the time available for a successful birth, assuming the zoo opts to try again. The pandas are due to be returned in 2021 and the agreement with the Chinese also stipulated the zoo would be allowed to keep a cub for two years, which implies that it would only be able to attempt breeding again in 2019 and possibly in 2020.
Tian Tian had had twins in China in 2009, but the RZSS tried natural mating only once, in 2012. It subsequently used artificial insemination with Yang Guang’s semen and defrosted semen from a bear that had successfully bred at Berlin zoo.
The decision greatly cuts down the time available for a successful birth, assuming the zoo opts to try again.
The agreement with the Chinese also stipulated the zoo would be allowed to keep a cub for two years, which implies it would only be able to attempt breeding again in 2019 and possibly in 2020.
A zoo spokeswoman said: “At the moment it’s too soon to say at this stage about the agreement which may or may not be extended.”A zoo spokeswoman said: “At the moment it’s too soon to say at this stage about the agreement which may or may not be extended.”
The RZSS has had recent success breeding its polar bears, after Victoria and Arktos produced a cub at its Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore in January, the first time polar bears have mated successfully in the UK in 25 years.
Edinburgh zoo said it would use the pause to redesign the panda’s enclosure. The RZSS’s statement did not commit the zoo to further breeding efforts, but it said: “We very much hope Tian Tian has a cub in the future and will be thrilled if this happens.”
Libby Anderson, a policy adviser for the Edinburgh-based animal welfare charity OneKind, said it opposed captive breeding programmes and welcomed the zoo’s retreat. “Repeated artificial insemination is against the animals’ interests and will not contribute to the species’ restoration in the wild, because zoo-born cubs will never be released,” she said.Libby Anderson, a policy adviser for the Edinburgh-based animal welfare charity OneKind, said it opposed captive breeding programmes and welcomed the zoo’s retreat. “Repeated artificial insemination is against the animals’ interests and will not contribute to the species’ restoration in the wild, because zoo-born cubs will never be released,” she said.
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