Panda Pregnancy Keeps Chiang Mai Zoo Guessing

[webfact]

LIN HUI

Panda pregnancy keeps keepers guessing

By The Nation

Chiang Mai Zoo veterinarians are maintaining a positive outlook despite their suspicion that panda Lin Hui might be undergoing a false pregnancy. They have asked for more time to conduct tests before officially deciding on the panda's condition.

Prasertsak Buntrakulpuntawi, head of Chiang Mai Zoo's panda research project, said yesterday that after checking Lin Hui's hormone levels four times, they found her progesterone decreasing to almost normal and had found no sign of a foetus. However, their findings remained inconclusive about the pregnancy because the panda was an exceptional animal.

He said this was a similar scenario to the first phase of Lin Hui's pregnancy with Lin Ping when they couldn't find the foetus until she became visibly pregnant and gave birth to the cub.

Asked about conducting artificial insemination - the same method that led to Lin Ping's birth - Prasertsak said they would wait for Lin Ping to mate naturally early next year before considering that option.

-- The Nation 2011-07-21