World Famous Panda Could Become a Mom Again

ATLANTA, GA -- Zoo Atlanta vets performed artificial insemination on Lun Lun, an 18-year-old female giant panda, on Monday night, in hopes that the world-famous mother of five could become a mom once again.

Female giant pandas are fertile for just two to three days a year.

“Time is of the essence in giant panda breeding season. Giant panda females are known for their ephemeral period of fertility, and our pair, as in previous breeding seasons, did not demonstrate interest in mating this year,” said Hayley Murphy, vice president of animal divisions at Zoo Atlanta. “Given Zoo Atlanta’s long-term investment in this endangered species, and given the success of our giant panda program thus far, we are hopeful that Lun Lun, who has proven herself to be an outstanding mother, will once again be able to bring a new addition to a population of animals that have become global icons for the conservation of wildlife and wild places.”

Lun Lun and male Yang Yang, also 18, have never mated naturally in their 17 years of association. All five of the pair’s offspring have been products of artificial insemination.

The pair’s first three cubs, male Mei Lan, born in 2006; male Xi Lan, born in 2008; and female Po, born in 2010, now reside at China’s Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Their fourth and fifth offspring, females Mei Lun and Mei Huan, born in 2013, reside at Zoo Atlanta. Mei Lun and Mei Huan are the only giant panda twins in the U.S.

Fewer than 1,900 giant pandas are estimated to remain in the wild in China’s Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, and more than 1,200 of these live inside nature reserves. Support from Zoo Atlanta benefits wild giant pandas living on eight of these reserves.

Image: Zoo Atlanta