Sunday, March 16, 2008
Sex videos fail to engage pandas
The video is pretty graphic. Qing Qing and Ha Lei tangle and slither about awkwardly on the floor of their panda enclosure.
Their encounter is filmed by one of the keepers. And scientists at the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding now play this mating tape to other pandas in the hope that it will encourage them to do the same.
"Here you can see the female is very co-operative," says reproduction specialist Hou Rong - who is known here as the Goddess of Fertility. She watches the video closely.
The two pandas writhe about for a bit longer. Then they untangle. It may be best to stop male pandas from watching what comes next.
"The female is not co-operative," says Dr Hou laconically.
That is an understatement.
The tape shows the female, Qing Qing, attacking the male, Ha Lei. He runs off to the corner, looking sheepish.
Qing Qing looks angry. Apparently this is normal behaviour for pandas after mating.
Still at least Qing Qing and Ha Lei get their job done. That is quite something.
Crucial timing
Some species cannot seem to stop mating, but pandas cannot seem to start.
Female pandas are only interested in reproducing for two or three days a year. For males it is the same.
Luckily for the survival of the panda species, these days of interest happen to coincide.
Scientists here have to make the most of this brief mating season. There are only around 2,000 pandas left in the world - including about 250 in captivity.
So the trick for everyone here at the Chengdu reserve is to get their pandas together on the right days, and then nudge them along a bit by playing them the video of Qing Qing and Ha Lei.
No one here can remember who came up with the idea - it was possibly a behaviour specialist from abroad, they say.
And there is one problem - no one is sure whether or not the mating tapes make any difference.
"We don't know if its useful for pandas or not," says Dr Hou. "Some pandas are interested. Others are not interested. They prefer to eat or rest - and not pay attention to the video."
So the reserve lets us play the video to the pandas ourselves.
Headache?
We get together a small monitor and some loudspeakers, put some plastic bags onto our shoes and head into a small enclosure.
One panda lies on its back among piles of bamboo leaves. Another is asleep. It does not look like they have mating on their minds.
We set up a small TV screen in front of a seven-year-old female panda called Shu Qing. She is busy crunching her way through an apple.
We play her the tape of Qing Qing and Ha Lei. Shu Qing shows no interest. She is much more concerned about finishing her apple.
After a couple of minutes she glances over at the TV monitor. Then she seems lost in thought. She vaguely waves a paw, but nothing more.
So the video does not appear to work. Perhaps Shu Qing has a headache, or perhaps she just prefers apples to adult videos.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7250657.stm
Olympics and Pandas: Natural Fit
Beijing to get more pandas for Olympic Games
Special report: 2008 Olympic Games
CHENGDU, March 13 (Xinhua) -- A giant panda breeding center in southwest China's Sichuan Province is loaning the Beijing Zoo up to 10 of the bears during the Olympic Games in August.
Eight to 10 of the animals, described as "strong, lovely and adaptable," are to be chosen by netizens from 16 candidates born in 2006 in the Wolong-based China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center, Li Desheng, the center's deputy director, told Xinhua on Thursday.
The pandas will be on display with seven of their peers at the zoo in Beijing through November.
The zoo has already begun to upgrade its facilities to accommodate the additional animals. It also planned to build a giant panda museum that would document efforts to save the endangered species.
"We would like to take the opportunity of the Olympic Games, when millions of tourists are expected to flow into the national capital, to promote the protection of the rare pandas and their living environment," Li said.
To ensure the animals' health and safety in their new home, Wolong was sending a large group of panda keepers, vets and technicians to help take care of them during their stay.
Li said the exercise was more than just an exhibition, it also emphasized the motivation to "exchange technologies on panda breeding".
"Experts at the Beijing Zoo were artificially breeding giant pandas in 1964, the earliest in China. So it's also a good opportunity to learn from our counterparts."
The pandas' departure date for the capital will be announced at a press conference next week when the voting closes.
Last year, 31 pandas were born at breeding centers around the nation in the first 11 months. A total of 25 survived, according to the State Forestry Administration. The Wolong center welcomed 20 pandas alone with 16 survivals.
The giant panda, known for being sexually inactive, is among the world's most endangered animals due to shrinking habitat.
In November, China had 239 giant pandas in captivity, including128 at the Wolong center. About 1,590 other pandas were thought to be living in China's wilderness, mainly in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/13/content_7783834.htm
Special report: 2008 Olympic Games
CHENGDU, March 13 (Xinhua) -- A giant panda breeding center in southwest China's Sichuan Province is loaning the Beijing Zoo up to 10 of the bears during the Olympic Games in August.
Eight to 10 of the animals, described as "strong, lovely and adaptable," are to be chosen by netizens from 16 candidates born in 2006 in the Wolong-based China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center, Li Desheng, the center's deputy director, told Xinhua on Thursday.
The pandas will be on display with seven of their peers at the zoo in Beijing through November.
The zoo has already begun to upgrade its facilities to accommodate the additional animals. It also planned to build a giant panda museum that would document efforts to save the endangered species.
"We would like to take the opportunity of the Olympic Games, when millions of tourists are expected to flow into the national capital, to promote the protection of the rare pandas and their living environment," Li said.
To ensure the animals' health and safety in their new home, Wolong was sending a large group of panda keepers, vets and technicians to help take care of them during their stay.
Li said the exercise was more than just an exhibition, it also emphasized the motivation to "exchange technologies on panda breeding".
"Experts at the Beijing Zoo were artificially breeding giant pandas in 1964, the earliest in China. So it's also a good opportunity to learn from our counterparts."
The pandas' departure date for the capital will be announced at a press conference next week when the voting closes.
Last year, 31 pandas were born at breeding centers around the nation in the first 11 months. A total of 25 survived, according to the State Forestry Administration. The Wolong center welcomed 20 pandas alone with 16 survivals.
The giant panda, known for being sexually inactive, is among the world's most endangered animals due to shrinking habitat.
In November, China had 239 giant pandas in captivity, including128 at the Wolong center. About 1,590 other pandas were thought to be living in China's wilderness, mainly in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/13/content_7783834.htm
Saturday, March 1, 2008
New Panda Movie!
Jack Black is set to star in Kung Fu Panda, a new movie from DreamWorks debuting on June 6th.
Po the panda is a humble noodle maker who realizes his martial arts dreams when he sets out on a crazy journey.
That's all that I will reveal...visit the site to find out more!
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