Love is in the air: hopes grow for panda baby as pair mate at Tokyo zoo for first time in four years
The mating even boosted the stock of a nearby Chinese restaurant
Two giant pandas at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo mated for the first time in four years Monday - a 52-second effort that boosted hopes for a baby as well as shares in a nearby Chinese restaurant.
Public viewing of pandas at the zoo has been halted since last week as the mating season got into full swing for the mammals, which are notoriously difficult to arouse.
But male Ri Ri and female Shin Shin, both 11 years old, eyed each other through a fence separating them, seeming to be in the mood for love, according to the zoo.
“We let the two be together at 8:06am and confirmed they mated for 52 seconds from 8:48am,” Ueno Zoo announced in a statement.
Four minutes later they were separated again.
“They usually live in solitude as pandas in the wild do,” Ueno public relations official Hitoshi Suzuki said.
“Living together could lead to quarrels and wounding each other.”