Internet users hoping to catch glimpse of mating pandas

Interesting tidbits about giant panda breeding

By Su Zhou

Giant panda Yuan Yuan in Taiwan had show?n? signs of pregnancy, including loss of appetite, thickening around the uterus and increasing levels of fe?a?cal progesterone in July 2015. [Photo/chinanews.com] Related story: Panda 'fakes pregnancy' to get better living conditions

Giant pandas may fake pregnancy for nicer food

Experts say clever pandas display behavior similar to pregnancy to improve their quality of life after they notice the difference in treatment.

The signs of pregnancy include loss of appetite, thickening of the uterus and increased fecal progesterone concentration. Generally speaking, giant pandas thought to be pregnant are moved into single rooms with air conditioning and round-the clock care and also receive more fruit and bamboo. Their trickery is found out when their behavior and physiological indexes return to normal.

Female pandas have a gestation period of just 90-160 days, and their cubs are too tiny to be readily seen via ultrasound. It's also difficult to use hormones as a reliable indicator of panda pregnancy, so sometimes it boils down to having to wait and see. Some pandas have apparently learned to take advantage of a good opportunity and enjoy the finer things while they can.

Related story: Panda 'fakes pregnancy' to get better living conditions

A female giant panda, Ke Lin, watches a panda mating video at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, March 10, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

Panda porn puts them in the mood to mate

Under zoo conditions, giant pandas have generally proved unenthusiastic about mating. Panda researchers in China found out that panda porn would help get giant pandas in the mood for love after an experiment in 2013.

According to the spokesman of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, giant pandas bred in captivity never had the opportunities to see other pandas mating, unlike wild ones.

A female giant panda, Ke Lin, watches a panda mating video at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, March 10, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

Next: Around the world, zoos try to make baby pandas a reality