Getting close to Giant Panda Breeding Season in Australia
Adelaide Zoo announced with much excitement and anticipation that they are officially heading into the 2013 Giant Panda Breeding Season.
Zoo keeping and veterinary staff are working hard to finalise plans as it is expected Funi will come into season in one to two weeks time. The team is joined this year by Giant Panda reproductive specialist, Mr Huang, from the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda at Wolong. Mr Huang will guide preparations and assist with artificial insemination.
The past two weeks have seen significant changes in Wang Wang and Funi’s behaviour. Both of their activity levels have increased, and they have begun bleating at each other. Bleating is a high pitched contact vocalisation used between pandas during the breeding season. They are also spending more time interacting with each other at the mesh that separates their respective areas.
Funi’s hormones levels are currently at baseline and will be monitored daily; once her oestrogen levels increase and progesterone levels decrease the team will know that she has entered oestrous. This will be the best time for the pandas to mate and to perform artificial insemination, which is a common breeding technique used by most institutions that house Giant Pandas during the breeding season. Artificial insemination will be used alongside natural mating attempts and is a vital breeding aid as pandas’ unique reproductive biology only allows for a very short reproductive window of 48-72 hours.
Source: Adelaide Zoo
