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Edinburgh Zoo's pandas 'not quite ready' to mate Edinburgh Zoo's pandas 'not quite ready' to mate
(about 2 hours later)
Edinburgh Zoo's pandas are "not quite ready" to be introduced to mate, zookeepers have said.Edinburgh Zoo's pandas are "not quite ready" to be introduced to mate, zookeepers have said.
Experts from China and Germany have flown in and are monitoring the behaviour of the female Tian Tian.Experts from China and Germany have flown in and are monitoring the behaviour of the female Tian Tian.
Scientists said her hormone levels suggest she is very close to an annual 36-hour mating window, but she was not yet in heat. Scientists said her hormone levels suggest she is very close to an annual 36-hour mating window. She is not yet in heat but may be by Wednesday.
Keepers hope Tian Tian and Yang Guang will mate naturally, but will also attempt artificial insemination.Keepers hope Tian Tian and Yang Guang will mate naturally, but will also attempt artificial insemination.
Last year the pandas were introduced to each other several times but did not mate.Last year the pandas were introduced to each other several times but did not mate.
Oestrogen levels Hormone results
Iain Valentine, Edinburgh Zoo's director of giant pandas said: "The annual panda breeding season is imminent and the next 24 hours are critical. A zoo spokeswoman said: "Tian Tian, our female giant panda, chose to sleep a lot of this afternoon so we let her do what her body was telling her it needed.
"Tian Tian is not quite ready yet, however her hormones could peak as soon as this afternoon, this evening, overnight or early tomorrow morning - we are now that close. "She woke late afternoon and we could see by behavioural analysis that she still had not yet reached peak. Her hormone results also backed this up.
"Yang Guang is more than ready and is a completely different animal to this time last year. "RZSS [Royal Zoological Society of Scotland] experts and our international colleagues will be regrouping early tomorrow morning where another enclosure swap will take place - Tian Tian will go into Yang Guang's outdoor enclosure and vice versa.
"We, and our experts, are constantly monitoring Tian Tian and continuing to test her oestrogen levels that will indicate she has reached peak. "This will give us the perfect opportunity to again monitor what stage Tian Tian has then reached. We hope she will continue to progress overnight and fully hit peak tomorrow morning."
"However, if our Chinese colleague Professor Wang, who has many years of experience in monitoring panda breeding signs, believes that her behaviour is showing she is there already we will begin introductions before the hormone results are available as we cannot afford to miss the short window of opportunity."
Tian Tian and Yang Guang will be given the opportunity to meet up to three times for short 15 to 30 minute intervals, following the pattern of how pandas would come together briefly in the wild to mate.Tian Tian and Yang Guang will be given the opportunity to meet up to three times for short 15 to 30 minute intervals, following the pattern of how pandas would come together briefly in the wild to mate.
If they breed successfully there is a possibility Tian Tian could have twins. Any cubs would remain in Edinburgh for two years before being returned to the Chinese.If they breed successfully there is a possibility Tian Tian could have twins. Any cubs would remain in Edinburgh for two years before being returned to the Chinese.