In 2015, the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute keepers, scientists and researchers took to social media to give the public a behind-the-scenes look into the world of saving giant pandas.
Chapter 1: Sperm on a Plane
Chapter 2: To the cryopreservation bank!
Let's Talk About (Panda) Sex
Of the 52 weeks in a year, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian mostly ignore each other for probably 50 of them. When they start to communicate, the panda team takes notice. Mei Xiang is showing all the signs of getting ready to breed. She’s restless, spends time pacing and scent-marking in her yard, but then takes long naps. That tells the panda team that her estrus is getting closer, but she’s not quite ready to breed yet. As you can see here, lately when she has seen Tian Tian at the mesh she sometimes chirps, sometimes moans, and sometimes is indifferent. The keepers are listening for a bleat. When Mei Xiang starts bleating, that usually means she’s ready. #PandaStory #InstaScience
A post shared by Smithsonian's National Zoo (@smithsonianzoo) on Apr 24, 2015 at 1:27pm PDT
Chapter 4: Sperm Meets Egg, (Hopefully)