We can BEARly contain our excitement!

As valued members, we wanted to bring you this exciting news first!
Adult female panda, Er Shun, was artificially inseminated yesterday as part of a planned collaborative breeding program! Pandas only ovulate for up to three days out of the year, making breeding for this vulnerable species extremely tricky.
In mid-March, Er Shun entered her breeding cycle and the animal care team had been monitoring her hormone levels daily, waiting for the precise time to artificially inseminate her with the help of a specialist from China. The success of the procedure will be confirmed by ultrasound and could take several weeks since pandas experience embryonic diapause – delayed implantation in the uterus. Er Shun is being cared for by a comprehensive team in her custom den in Panda Passage’s back of house area. (there’s a video of the procedure if you are curious).
First thought: Why are you sharing this she hadn’t even taken a pregnancy test!
Oh right it’s a panda bear, moving on.....
Best of luck to Er Shun and all involved.