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| Edinburgh Zoo panda may no longer be pregnant | |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Edinburgh Zoo is concerned that the UK's only female giant panda may no longer be pregnant. | |
| Keepers said Tian Tian had now passed her due date and hormone analysis from last week suggested that "something might be amiss". | Keepers said Tian Tian had now passed her due date and hormone analysis from last week suggested that "something might be amiss". |
| They said there was still a remote chance the panda might give birth this year but the evidence suggested it was more likely to be "bad news." | They said there was still a remote chance the panda might give birth this year but the evidence suggested it was more likely to be "bad news." |
| Tian Tian was artificially inseminated in April. | Tian Tian was artificially inseminated in April. |
| Iain Valentine, director of giant pandas for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: "She is still displaying some of the behaviours of a pregnant panda, but the scientific data from the urine analysis of her hormones is becoming more atypical. | Iain Valentine, director of giant pandas for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: "She is still displaying some of the behaviours of a pregnant panda, but the scientific data from the urine analysis of her hormones is becoming more atypical. |
| "There is still a chance she will give birth to a live cub as her progesterone levels have not yet returned to base." | "There is still a chance she will give birth to a live cub as her progesterone levels have not yet returned to base." |
| Mr Valentine added: "I must stress, as there has been a lot in the news recently about pandas 'faking' it, that this was definitely not a pseudo or phantom pregnancy. | Mr Valentine added: "I must stress, as there has been a lot in the news recently about pandas 'faking' it, that this was definitely not a pseudo or phantom pregnancy. |
| "The results of cutting edge scientific analysis have shown that, across the entire pregnancy, Tian Tian had the profile of a pregnant panda likely to carry to full term. | "The results of cutting edge scientific analysis have shown that, across the entire pregnancy, Tian Tian had the profile of a pregnant panda likely to carry to full term. |
| "We are working with the of the very best panda experts in the world and they were all in agreement." | "We are working with the of the very best panda experts in the world and they were all in agreement." |
| The zoological society, which runs Edinburgh Zoo, said it was continuing to monitor Tian Tian closely and would know more towards the end of the week. | The zoological society, which runs Edinburgh Zoo, said it was continuing to monitor Tian Tian closely and would know more towards the end of the week. |
| Tian Tian, which means Sweetie, and male Yang Guang (Sunshine) arrived on loan from China in December 2011. | Tian Tian, which means Sweetie, and male Yang Guang (Sunshine) arrived on loan from China in December 2011. |
| They were the first giant pandas to live in the UK for 17 years. | They were the first giant pandas to live in the UK for 17 years. |
| The last pandas in the UK, Ming Ming and Bao Bao, left a zoo in London in 1994 after failing to mate. | The last pandas in the UK, Ming Ming and Bao Bao, left a zoo in London in 1994 after failing to mate. |
| Only nine zoos outside China house the animals and in Europe they can only be seen in Madrid, Berlin and Vienna, as well as Edinburgh. | Only nine zoos outside China house the animals and in Europe they can only be seen in Madrid, Berlin and Vienna, as well as Edinburgh. |
| Both Edinburgh's new pandas have produced offspring previously, but not with each other. | Both Edinburgh's new pandas have produced offspring previously, but not with each other. |
| The birth of Edinburgh's panda cub comes after two previous attempts by the zoo to get Tian Tian to conceive. | The birth of Edinburgh's panda cub comes after two previous attempts by the zoo to get Tian Tian to conceive. |
| In 2012, the pandas were encouraged to mate naturally but the brief window of opportunity for panda conception, about 36 hours a year, closed without success. | In 2012, the pandas were encouraged to mate naturally but the brief window of opportunity for panda conception, about 36 hours a year, closed without success. |
| So last year, the zoo decided to artificially inseminate Tian Tian. | So last year, the zoo decided to artificially inseminate Tian Tian. |
| The zoo confirmed that Tian Tian did become pregnant but it was most likely that she had reabsorbed the foetus late term. | The zoo confirmed that Tian Tian did become pregnant but it was most likely that she had reabsorbed the foetus late term. |
| This year, the zoo delayed announcing the possibility of a pregnancy until much later in the year and using a new set of tests they were able to be much more certain about Tian Tian's condition. | This year, the zoo delayed announcing the possibility of a pregnancy until much later in the year and using a new set of tests they were able to be much more certain about Tian Tian's condition. |