Ocean Park hopes pandas will get pregnant on third try
Ying Ying has just three days a year to conceive, but Ocean Park hopes Le Le can give her a cub
They've tried to do it twice before, without success. But Ocean Park is hoping it will be third year lucky for Le Le when he attempts to woo the attraction's youngest panda Ying Ying this spring.
But he has a small window in which to strike. Female pandas only experience one estrous cycle a year, and when it comes it lasts for just three days.
The park's senior curator of terrestrial life sciences Howard Chuk hau-chung said that pandas usually mate between March and May - and he has already seen signals the cuddling bears may be about to enter the breeding season. But to be sure, Chuk needs to see more signs of bleating and restlessness.
When they do find their window, Ying Ying has a 30 to 50 per cent chance of successfully getting pregnant. The past two attempts failed because Le Le did not master the mating position.
"They tried to mate three times a day in the past two years during the breeding season. But at the end they did not mate successfully. I am confident they will succeed this year after gaining the experience," Chuk said.
They tried to mate three times a day in the past two years during the breeding season. But at the end they did not mate successfully
To help Le Le prepare, panda trainers have been putting fruit on the trees to encourage him to stand on his hindlegs to reach the food, strengthening his muscles in the process.