Pregnant pause as zoo gives pandas a break
HOPING for the pitter patter of tiny paws has become an annual event as the nation waits in vain for its adopted giant pandas to breed.
But bosses at Edinburgh Zoo have decided to spare themselves the agony this year – by calling a temporary halt to breeding efforts.
Attempts have been made to encourage Tian Tian and Yang Guang to breed every year since 2012, after they arrived in Scotland on a ten-year loan from China at the end of 2011.
Staff say they want to carry out research in an attempt to improve the chances of success in the future.
A Royal Zoological Society of Scotland spokesman said: ‘We will not attempt to breed our giant pandas this year because we want 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.
‘In the meantime, the pause will also enable us to make some enhancements to our giant panda enclosure, which would not have been practical either during or between breeding seasons.
‘We very much hope Tian Tian has a cub in the future and will be thrilled if this happens.’
Tian Tian has produced cubs in China, but not in the UK. The zoo tried natural breeding in 2012 and has attempted artificial insemination each year since 2013.
In an attempt to encourage the pandas to breed in private, a ‘tunnel of love’ was constructed between their two enclosures.
The pandas are rented for £600,000 a year from the Chinese government. Any cub must be returned to China after two years.