With the arrival of spring weather and flowers in full blossom, Taipei Zoo’s female giant panda, Yuan Yuan, is in estrus (on heat). Zoo keepers began to detect a series of signs starting from Feb. 9 when they noticed Yuan Yuan was rubbing her vulva, which they observed was swollen and secreting fluid. Zoo keepers also noticed other tell-tale signs, including pacing around her enclosure, running about and bathing in the water pools. As the indications became increasingly apparent, zoo keepers’ statistical modeling, using a range of indices including an analysis of hormone levels, determined that Yuan Yuan would be in “peak estrus” on Thursday last week. Zoo veterinarians carried out two rounds of artificial insemination last Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning to take advantage of the small window of opportunity in which pandas are able to conceive.
Breeding specialists from the Bifengxia Giant Panda Base research and breeding center in China’s Sichuan Province would usually visit the zoo every year during Yuan Yuan’s estrus period. However, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, no specialists from the center were able to travel to Taiwan this year. As a workaround, once Yuan Yuan was confirmed to be in estrus, veterinarians held a video conference to discuss her condition with the center’s Wang Chengdong.
According to the zoo, this year’s artificial insemination operation was carried out by a team of zoo veterinarians under the guidance of medical experts from the Wild Animal Healthcare and Treatment Group, including professor Liu Chen-hsuan, veterinarian Chang Chih-hua, doctors Sun Wei-zen and Wang Yi-chia from National Taiwan University’s Department of Anesthesiology and Wei Ling-ying from the hospital’s Department of Dentistry. In addition to carrying out artificial insemination, the team performed an annual health check up on Yuan Yuan and her mate, Tuan Tuan, which included carrying out ultrasound tests on their teeth and abdomens to gain a complete picture of the pandas’ overall health.
Photo courtesy of Taipei Zoo
照片：台北市立動物園提供
(Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei Times)
春暖花開的季節，台北市立動物園大貓熊「圓圓」發情期也開始。園方表示，從二月九日開始，保育員陸續觀察到「圓圓」出現外陰腫、蹭陰、過水、來回走動、奔跑、泡水等行為，進入發情期的跡象越來越明顯，從各項指標及荷爾蒙指數等專業數值研判，上週四達到發情高峰，園方分別在上週三下午、上週四上午為「圓圓」進行人工授精，把握住最佳繁殖時機。
以往每年大貓熊繁殖季節，中國大熊貓保護研究中心專家都會親赴北市動物園現場。園方表示，今年因為新型冠狀病毒疫情的關係，研究中心專家無法到現場來指導。但「圓圓」開始有發情行為，園方便與大熊貓研究中心專家王承東，使用視訊會議，共同討論大貓熊的繁殖大事。
Photo courtesy of Taipei Zoo
照片：台北市立動物園提供
園方表示，這次大貓熊繁殖工作，特別感謝「野生動物健康照護與醫療小組」劉振軒教授、張志華獸醫、台大醫院麻醉部孫維仁醫師、王憶嘉醫師、牙科部魏鈴穎醫師等專家到場指導，與動物園獸醫師共同完成任務。除了進行人工繁殖作業外，同時為「團團」和「圓圓」進行牙齒及腹部超音波等年度檢查，以了解並掌握動物整體的健康狀況。
(自由時報記者蔡亞樺)
Photo courtesy of Taipei Zoo
照片：台北市立動物園提供
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