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Outside Introductions Prove Positive

The last few days have been extremely busy for the Panda Team, with introductions starting on Saturday. While we’re monitoring hormone levels through urine samples, behaviour is the best indicator for determining Fu Ni’s receptivity, and therefore whether or not she is ovulating.

The first introductions saw Fu Ni vocalising for Wang Wang to maintain his distance, which of course being the gentleman that he is he did. This behaviour, combined with the behaviours observed throughout the day when the pandas were back in their own areas, indicated that she was not yet receptive and therefore not yet ovulating.

Each introduction following on from the first few have found Fu Ni slowly becoming more receptive. Fu Ni’s vocalisations have become much more positive, chirping and bleating, and she is now allowing Wang Wang to get much closer, and has also become much more playful in her interactions with him.

This year, for the first time, introductions have taken place outside. It’s proving very successful and we’re seeing natural behaviours from the pair. Fu Ni has been climbing the main tree in the habitat and Wang Wang is bleating to her from below. Vocalisations have been very positive and on several occasions Wang Wang has climbed the tree and met her half way where they’ve playfully batted at each other. This behaviour is similar to the wild in that female pandas will climb trees while males congregate below and fight for mating rights. When the female begins to ovulate, she’ll come down from the tree and mate with the victorious male. Although we don’t have multiple males, hopefully this behaviour will prove similar for us here at Adelaide Zoo.

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When each in their own area of the complex, Wang Wang is very focused on staying near Fu Ni’s side, and bleating to her. Meanwhile, Fu Ni is almost constantly bleating, and has now started showing behaviours that would indicate she is very, very close to ovulation.

Fu Ni’s hormones continue to rise and we anticipate her oestrogen levels will peak and sharply decline in the next 24-48 hours indicating she has begun to ovulate. This is when she will become receptive to Wang Wang and we would hope to see a mating.

Lucy Catt
Acting Senior Panda Keeper