The Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Wolong, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, is by now the world largest and best research center for giant pandas. Its major task is to breed pandas artificially, and every year eight to ten lovely baby pandas are born here. However, artificial breeding of pandas remain a arduous job, for pandas only become sexually mature at the age of four or five, and they are only in heat once in every spring, with their ovulation periods, only during which can they possible conceive, lasting but one or two days. In last March, Shuang Shuang became the first female panda entering heat period this year.

Pandas mate

Video of sex education shown to pandas

Seventeen-year-old Shuang Shuang is already an old creature as a panda, so she is no longer strong as before and has a slimmer chance for conceiving. To boost her chance researchers selected a young, strong suitor for her--the eight-year-old Xi Meng.

An evening of late March, Shuang Shuang's ovulation period arrived, and to propel Xi Meng into heat as soon as possible, researches showed him a video featuring pre-marriage education.

Giant panda have a relatively low fertility rate, which is tremendously impaired in captivity. Many adult pandas lack sexual urge and knowledge in mating. Now there are only six male pandas living in captivity across the world who are capable of natural mating, while most are ones who need enlightenment like Xi Meng. Pandas are animals living alone, who only stay temporarily with the other side when both parties are in heat. If the chance is not properly handled, a war between a pair is possible.

Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center in Chengdu

Constant fight between the newly married

Finally, Shuang Shuang was in heat, and researchers hurriedly let Xi Meng in. But since Xi Meng lacked experience, the mating failed. The next morning, researchers arranged another meeting between the two, but this time Shuang Shuang remained indifferent to Xi Meng, and howled continuously. Time was flying. Researchers decided to give Shuang Shuang artificial insemination immediately, with semen taken from another panda Zhuang Zhuang. (In Wolong, there lives in captivity many male pandas like Zhuang Zhuang who have normal sexual organs but remain distant and aloof from females for life, leaving artificial fertilization the only way for their reproduction.) After that, Shuang Shuang and Xi Meng became a real couple once. But shortly after the mating finished Xi Meng threw Shuang Shuang to the ground, ready for attack. Shuang Shuang was at once let out. The mating this time, though successful, was too short to impregnate. The remaining time being limited, researchers expected more successful mating, but Xi Meng bit hardly at a paw of Shuang Shuang during another mating. In a few hours Shuang Shuang's heat period would be at end, and natural mating was impossible. To boost the chance of impregnation as much as possible, researchers gave the last artificial fertilization to Shuang Shuang when sewing up her wound. During two days, researchers tried every means to make Shuang Shuang mate 11 times and receive two times artificial insemination. At last Shuang Shuang got conceived.

Returning pandas to the wild the fundamental way

The efforts pay off. But the fundamental way of saving pandas from going extinct is to return them to the wild, to this end the Center has launched a series of wild living trainings. People hope pandas could return to nature, and breed their young just like their ancestors did.

By People's Daily Online