PANDAMONIUM

Animal lovers crash zoo webcam after Tian Tian pregnancy news

NEWS that the UK’s only female giant panda might be pregnant saw fans crash her zoo’s webcam.

Earlier this week it was revealed that Tian Tian could be expecting after years of attempts to see if she could produce a cub.

People flocked to Edinburgh Zoo’s webcam following the announcement but many were left disappointed after it went offline for more than an hour.

Last night, it was finally back online. There had been some hope that Tian Tian might give birth yesterday only for nothing to happen.

Her keepers believe she is pregnant but said her breeding cycle is expected to continue into next month.

Correspondence between Edinburgh Zoo and the Scottish Government had suggested the due date could be Friday.

A spokesman for Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo yesterday said: “Breeding pandas is exceptionally complex and we anticipate that her breeding cycle will continue into September.

“We’re closely monitoring Tian Tian and we will share any news as soon as possible.”

Panda reproduction is a notoriously tricky process, with females only ovulating once a year.

Artificial insemination was attempted for a fifth time after the zoo’s male panda Yang Guang was unreceptive to natural mating.

Tian Tian – also known as Sweetie – and Yang Guang are the only giant pandas in the UK. The bears arrived on loan from China in December 2011 and are due to remain at Edinburgh Zoo for a decade.

The pair were the first giant pandas in the UK for 17 years.

Their arrival marked the end of a five-year effort to bring them to Scotland.

Documents released under Freedom of Information on Thursday show that in late July, Tian Tian’s pregnancy was “on track” and the mother-to-be is “doing real well”.