Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo get first look at baby koala
Zookeepers are getting their first proper look at a koala joey who was born in May, but has only recently emerged from his mother's pouch.
Edinburgh Zoo set for historic panda baby birth
Specialist staff from China arrived over the weekend and incubators are ready for what will be the first giant panda baby born in the UK.
Zoo staff go to great lengths for new 'panda-cam'
Staff at Edinburgh Zoo went to great lengths in ensuring their new "panda-cam" was at its best in the run-up to mating season.
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Timeline: Tian Tian's pregnancy
December 2011
Tian Tian (meaning Sweetie) and Yang Guang (Sunshine) arrive in Scotland from Ya'an reserve in Chengdu, China.
April 2012
The pair are introduced at Edinburgh Zoo and shown to a specially made "love tunnel", but they only go as far as wrestling.
February 2013
The zoo launches a “panda-cam” so people across the world can watch the two giant pandas in the run-up to mating season.
April 2013
After failing to show signs that she is ready to mate, Tian Tian is artificially inseminated.
June 2013
The zoo's plans to carry out an ultrasound to see if Tian Tian is pregnant are shelved because it is deemed too risky to sedate her.
August 2013
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland reveals that hormone changes indicate Tian Tian may be pregnant.
Edinburgh Zoo set for historic panda baby birth
Specialist staff from China arrived over the weekend and incubators are ready for what will be the first giant panda baby born in the UK.
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'Too early to tell' if giant panda definitely pregnant
Edinburgh Zoo has said "not to get too excited yet" over rumours that its resident female giant panda may be pregnant. Tian Tian is one of only two giant pandas in the UK, and was artificially inseminated in April.
Confirming a female panda’s pregnancy is never straight forward and we would encourage people to try not to get too excited just yet – I know it is easier said than done though!
Further hormone results will be available roughly by mid-August that will add to the picture – if Tian Tian is not pregnant specific hormone levels should drop back down to zero.
Edinburgh Zoo's giant panda 'may be pregnant'
Edinburgh Zoo's resident female panda Tian Tian may be pregnant, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has revealed.
A second hormone rise in progesterone was confirmed on Wednesday, which indicates she may be expecting a cub or experiencing a pseudo pregnancy, after being artificially inseminated in April.
If there is a cub, it could be born between late August and September.
Giant pandas get back to their normal routine
Giant pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang were out and about at Edinburgh Zoo today following an artificial insemination procedure that took place over the weekend.
Veterinarians will conduct an ultrasound scan on Tian Tian in the summer to see if she is pregnant.
Zoo reveals more about panda artificial insemination
Edinburgh Zoo has revealed more about the artificial insemination of Tian Tian - the UK's only female giant panda - after she failed to mate with the zoo's other panda Yang Guang.
A combination of frozen and fresh semen was used belonging to Yang Guang and another panda called Bao Bao.
According to the zoo, using multiple samples allies with the panda’s natural mating strategy to maximise the chance of successful breeding.
Iain Valentine, director of giant pandas, said: "It would have been amazing if the pandas had mated naturally, however artificial insemination is the next best thing for the overall global conservation effort and the individual biology of Tian Tian our female.
"Like IVF, artificial insemination is essentially an opportunity for science to give nature a helping hand".
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Zoo: Ultrasound on panda to be conducted in summer
Veterinarians will conduct an ultrasound scan on Edinburgh Zoo's female panda Tian Tian in the summer to see if she is expecting cubs.
Specialists artificially inseminated Tian Tian after she didn't display any interest in the zoo's other panda Yang Guang.
Zoo keepers say they remain hopeful that they will have panda cubs by September.
UK's only female giant panda artificially inseminated
The UK's only female giant panda has been artificially inseminated in the hope in making her pregnant.
Natural mating was not attempted between Tian Tian (Sweetie) and male Yang Guang (Sunshine) as scientists who have been monitoring them said the pair were showing signs "not conductive to mating."
Read: Panda not yet ready to breed despite grumpy behaviour
A team of experts from around the world have been at the zoo for the past week to monitor the paid as Tian Tian approached her crucial 36-hour breeding window. A spokeswoman for Edinburgh zoo said:
"Edinburgh Zoo's specialist team and experts from around the world performed artificial insemination on female giant panda Tian Tian in the early hours of this morning.
"Both pandas and humans are sleeping today. The procedures went very much to plan and they are both well, but will be off show until Tuesday."
Edinburgh Zoo 'still waiting' for panda procreation
Edinburgh Zoo says that hormone tests conducted on their female panda Tian Tian suggests that she is unfortunately still not ready to mate.
There is great anticipation that the pair of pandas will breed, with experts predicting the bears should go into season over the next few days.
Rachel Goddard from Edinburgh Zoo said "Professor Wang, our Chinese expert, believes our female panda could either suddenly progress very quickly from this stage, or enter the 36 hour breeding window after a slow but continuous rise in hormone levels on either Thursday or Friday of this week".
"We will not attempt to introduce the two pandas until we reach this stage. It is all very normal and all part and parcel of giant pandas. It’s just really a waiting game now"
Panda not yet ready to breed despite grumpy behaviour
Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo say their giant female panda Tian Tian's has not expressed interest in breeding despite her recent "grumpy behaviour".
Specialists are monitoring Tian Tian (Sweetie) closely after the zoo's male panda Yang Guang (Sunshine) started displaying signs that he to is ready to mate.
A spokeswoman said "Our female giant panda chose to sleep a lot of this afternoon so we let her do what her body was telling her it needed."
"She woke late afternoon and we could see bybehavioural analysis that she still had not yet reached peak."
"We hope she will continue to progress overnight and fully hit peak tomorrow morning.”
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