US zoo plans to breed panda
Source: Agencies |
December 20, 2011, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE United States' National Zoo in Washington announced a US$4.5 million gift yesterday to fund its giant panda reproduction program for five more years.
The zoo said philanthropist David M. Rubenstein, a co-founder and managing director of the global asset-management firm Carlyle Group, is donating the money. The gift will allow the zoo to proceed with a five-year plan established with Chinese wildlife officials to try to produce another cub, officials said.
The zoo said male panda Tian Tian has been showing the first signs of breeding behavior for the season. But officials have said they may seek to swap female Mei Xiang out for another female because there's a high likelihood she won't succeed in having another cub.
Officials said they are getting frozen semen from a now deceased panda at San Diego's zoo in California to use as a backup this year if Tian Tian's semen isn't of sufficient quality for artificial insemination.
They continue to keep the Washington panda couple separated in different yards and enclosures.
In January, the Smithsonian signed a new five-year, US$2.5 million agreement with China to keep the popular pandas in Washington. The agreement stipulated that one or both of the pandas could be traded for others if they can't breed.
The zoo said philanthropist David M. Rubenstein, a co-founder and managing director of the global asset-management firm Carlyle Group, is donating the money. The gift will allow the zoo to proceed with a five-year plan established with Chinese wildlife officials to try to produce another cub, officials said.
The zoo said male panda Tian Tian has been showing the first signs of breeding behavior for the season. But officials have said they may seek to swap female Mei Xiang out for another female because there's a high likelihood she won't succeed in having another cub.
Officials said they are getting frozen semen from a now deceased panda at San Diego's zoo in California to use as a backup this year if Tian Tian's semen isn't of sufficient quality for artificial insemination.
They continue to keep the Washington panda couple separated in different yards and enclosures.
In January, the Smithsonian signed a new five-year, US$2.5 million agreement with China to keep the popular pandas in Washington. The agreement stipulated that one or both of the pandas could be traded for others if they can't breed.
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