AI @ Edinburgh Zoo on March 26, 2015
“Artificial insemination took place on Tian Tian in the early hours of Thursday March 26, 2015 at Edinburgh Zoo. The procedure was carried out by the expert team of three veterinarians at RZSS, alongside Chinese colleague Doctor Wang Chengdong from the China Conservation and Research Centre for Giant Pandas (CCRCGP). Only semen from male panda Yang Guang was used during the procedure.
Iain Valentine, Director of Giant Pandas for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said:
“Natural mating will also be attempted today before the short breeding window comes to a close this afternoon (Thursday) as both pandas remain extremely interested in one another, but as Tian Tian’s transition to peak was so rapid it was a priority to move straight to AI first.
Throughout yesterday (Wednesday) Tian Tian remained very quiet and sleepy, but by 5pm there was a behavioural shift and the results of hormone tests that came back at 7pm, carried out by the University of Edinburgh, confirmed ovulation had occurred. As each individual panda is different and their pattern can vary from year to year, this is why we start hormone monitoring via urine samples so early and continually observe our female via CCTV as the window approaches.
Tian Tian is doing very well and everything went according to plan.”
