Britain's panda pregnancy fails

Yahoo – AFP, 22 Sep 2014

Tian Tian, the female panda at Edinburgh Zoo, relaxes in her compound
on August 9, 2013

Britain's only female giant panda has suffered a failed pregnancy, her second in two years, Edinburgh Zoo said on Monday.

Edinburgh said its 10-year-old panda Tian Tian, who is spending a decade in the Scottish capital on loan from China with her male companion Yang Guang, was on course to carry to full term, but "sadly this did not happen".

"She is no longer pregnant," said Iain Valentine, director of giant pandas for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

"Panda reproduction and biology is complex. All data gathered since conception took place pointed to a pregnant panda likely to carry to full term. Sadly this did not happen."

"There is no evidence she has had a miscarriage, so late reabsorption of the foetus could have occurred," he said.

Tian Tian ("Sweetie") was artificially inseminated on April 13 after repeated attempts to make her mate with Yang Guang ("Sunshine"), and her pregnancy was announced in August.

Edinburgh is paying around $1 million (750,000 euros) a year to Chinese authorities for Tian Tian and Yang Guang -- the only pair of giant pandas in Britain -- who arrived in 2011.

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