Pandas mate at Tokyo zoo

NHK -- Mar 07

Tokyo's Ueno Zoo has announced that a pair of giant pandas have mated for the first time in four years.

The zoo confirmed that the male Ri Ri and the female Shin Shin mated around 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Their previous mating produced the female offspring Xiang Xiang, which has drawn many visitors to the zoo.

Shin Shin started to show signs of being ready to mate in late February. Zookeepers allowed the two to meet over a fence on Saturday afternoon. After Shin Shin appeared receptive, zookeepers put them together.

There are only a handful of days in a year when female giant pandas are likely to conceive. Zoo officials say they will continue observing Shin Shin and Ri Ri as they look for the next opportunity.

The officials say they hope that breeding efforts will be a success.

Experts are usually invited from China to give advice during the animal's breeding season, but the coronavirus pandemic made that impossible this time. Zookeepers are instead keeping in contact with them through videos and other means.

Mar 07 (ANNnewsCH) - 東京都は上野動物園のジャイアントパンダの交尾を確認したと発表しました。  上野動物園によりますと、6日にジャイアントパンダの雄のリーリー(15)と雌のシンシン(15)に強い発情の兆候があらわれ、2頭を同じ部屋に入れたところ午後5時すぎに交尾が確認されたということです。  この2頭の交尾は2017年にも確認されていて、その際にはシャンシャンが産まれています。  雌の発情のピークは3日間程度とされていて、動物園は8日もシンシンの様子を観察して交尾の機会をうかがうことにしています。  上野動物園の職員は「去年の9月にできた新しいパンダ舎で交尾に至ってくれたということで、まずは安堵(あんど)しています」と話しました。