Calgary Zoo to attempt to artificially inseminate giant panda during brief window of ovulation

The Calgary Zoo will attempt to breed giant pandas Er Shun and Da Mao in the coming weeks but artificial insemination will be required as the pair have proven incompatible

As Er Shun. an adult female panda at the Calgary Zoo enters the preliminary stages of her reproductive cycle, efforts are underway to capitalize on the brief window for impregnation.

According to zoo officials, members of the Calgary Zoo animal care and veterinary teams will begin monitoring Er Shun’s hormone levels under the guidance of a panda reproductive specialist who has arrived from China.

“It’s that springtime of year when they come into a cycle so we’re just starting to see her begin that cycle where we’re seeing changes in her behaviour and we’re seeing changes in her biology,” said Colleen Baird, the Calgary Zoo’s general curator. “She’s getting a swollen vulva and that tells us we should start tracking her hormones to see when she’s going to ovulate.”

Source: CTV News Calgary