According to a 2015 panda census by the State Forestry Administration, there are currently 422 pandas kept in captivity worldwide. (Photo : Getty Images)
Thousands of Chinese netizens tuned in on a live video feed of giant pandas at a research center in Sichuan Province in hopes of witnessing their mating rituals, according to an article by China Daily.
Twenty video cameras were installed at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda to allow netizens to take a peek of these endangered animals' everyday lives.
This season is particularly exciting, as spring heralds the start of the giant panda's mating season.
Netizens who weren't able to catch pandas mating can scroll through the center's panda-mating video clips uploaded on their official website. One such video shows 9-year-old Cui Cui and 16-year-old Wu Gang getting acquainted with each other at the center's Bifengxia base in Ya'an last Sunday, April 3.
Research centers for giant pandas have long dealt with difficulties regarding the mating habits of giant pandas in captivity. According to researchers, mating in captivity is a challenge for the bears. In addition to the mating game, pregnancies and the care for newborn cubs also pose new sets of challenges.
"Only 20 percent of the pandas could have sex naturally. To motivate male pandas' sex drive, researchers let them watch videos of other pandas mating," said Zhang Heming, the center's chief, in an interview with China Daily. Aside from making them watch videos, male pandas are also fed an aphrodisiac.
Still, researchers are optimistic that things are about to change, as they are now equipped with over 20 years of research about giant pandas. Between 70 and 80 percent of giant pandas in captivity can now mate naturally.
As for post-natal care, zoos around the world are constantly on the lookout for skilled workers who can assist with the birth and care of cubs.
"Many zoos outside the Chinese mainland lack experience in the field and ask Chinese researchers to help them. This year, researchers from the Ya'an research center have visited Belgium and Taipei. Next they will go to Singapore, Thailand, Britain and Australia," said Tang Chunxiang, a senior researcher.
According to a 2015 panda census by the State Forestry Administration, there are currently 422 pandas kept in captivity worldwide. Majority of the bears are kept in the Ya'an research center and the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
