Veterinarians try artificial insemination on Giant Panda at National Zoo
| Washington
Veterinarians at the聽聽artificially inseminated the zoo's female giant panda聽聽on Saturday after natural breeding failed to occur, zoo keepers said.
聽was put under general anesthesia and inseminated with a combination of fresh semen and frozen semen collected from the zoo's male giant panda Tian Tian. The scientists said they planned a second insemination later on Saturday.
Veterinarians detected a rise in hormone levels on Tuesday, indicating聽聽was ready to breed but said "no competent breeding" between the panda pair had occurred.
"We are hopeful that our breeding efforts will be successful this year, and we're encouraged by all the behaviors and hormonal data we've seen so far," said聽, head of the聽聽at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.
Scientists will continue to monitor聽's hormone levels in the coming months and conduct ultrasounds to determine whether she is pregnant. A pregnancy lasts between 95 and 160 days, they said.
聽has given birth to two cubs. One died a week after its birth last year. The other was born in 2005 and is now at the聽聽in Wolong.
