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Phila Siu

Making babies the natural way just is not happening for Ocean Park pandas Ying Ying and Le Le. The two failed to get together naturally in their third and latest mating season, so the park had to use artificial insemination.
However this time it used Le Le's fresh semen instead of a mix of fresh and frozen semen, in the hope of increasing the chances of a successful pregnancy.

The pandas, who will both be eight years old next month, were closeted together on Sunday and Monday, after Ying Ying demonstrated behaviour consistent with entering her fertile cycle. Their home, the Giant Panda Adventure, was closed to the public.
A video of their time together showed Le Le trying to mount Ying Ying, but failing to get the mating position right.
The park believes the pandas failed to mate because of a lack of experience instead of a lack of interest towards each other.
The pair have tried to mate twice since they became sexually mature in 2011 and failed both times. The park has also tried artificial insemination before, using frozen and fresh semen. However, this time Le Le did something right and produced abundant semen, which was used to inseminate Ying Ying.
"Both Ying Ying and Le Le are healthy and in very good condition," said Dr Wang Chengdong, director of the veterinary service of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Wolong, who came to Hong Kong to assist the park.
"Although they are still relatively inexperienced and were therefore unable to mate naturally, we were fortunate to have collected fresh semen of good quality and quantity from Le Le, and the artificial insemination of Ying Ying was conducted very smoothly."
Suzanne Gendron, the park's executive director of zoological operations and education, said there should be signs of pregnancy in October or November if the insemination worked.
And even if it fails, the pandas have time on their side. They are fertile until they are 20 years old.
In Taipei Zoo artificial insemination led to the successful birth of a female panda cub earlier this month.
 


Third try at love flops for Ocean Park's panda pair

Ying Ying (left) and Le Le. Photo: Oliver Tsang

Ocean Park hopes pandas will get pregnant on third try

Ying Ying (above) and Le Le are hoping it will be third year lucky. Photo: Sam Tsang

Le Le. Photo: Sam Tsang

 'Panda porn' pays off for novice Chengdu lover as animals mate

Female panda Ying Ying eats bamboo at Ocean Park in Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang/SCMP

5 pandas enjoy welcome meal

Ocean Park's shy red pandas prepare to live in public gaze

News

Hong Kong

Making babies the natural way just is not happening for Ocean Park pandas Ying Ying and Le Le. The two failed to get together naturally in their third and latest mating season, so the park had to use artificial insemination.
