At 23 March 2016 the giant pandas at Vienna Zoo (Yang Yang and Long Hui) got that special feeling that accompanies springtime, and mated several times that day. This is quite sensational for giant pandas in captivity. In no other of the few zoos in Europe that keep giant pandas, this endangered species reproduce in a natural way.
It shows that some giant pandas can still ‘perform’ while kept in captivity. Unfortunately, it also proves that — while for most captive pandas artificial insemination is the only solution to achieve reproduction — most environments in zoological or breeding facilities do not provide the right circumstances for natural reproductive behaviour. Which is not so strange of course, considering the way this forest dwelling species live in China: a solitary life in a huge territory of bamboo forests.
(Source: Zoovienna Tiergarten Schönbrunn YouTube channel)
(Source: AboutZoos, Vienna Zoo — Tiergarten Schönbrunn)