For the first time, filmmakers have captured footage of giant pandas mating in the wild.
A crew shooting an episode of the PBS series Nature spent three years tracking the gentle giants in China‘s Qinling Mountains to witness the rare courtship.
Two males are shown in an aggressive standoff in a clip from ‘Pandas: Born to be Wild,’ but the female is not interested in either and walks away.
It’s believed the males’ hostile routine helps trigger ovulation in females, explaining why natural mating is so rare in zoos.
A week later, the female relents and was spotted copulating with one of the challengers.
Scroll down for video
Filmmakers for the PBS series Nature captured what is believed to be the first courtship ritual and mating of giant pandas in the wild.
Working with scientists and park rangers, the Nature crew was able to capture the first recorded standoff between two males, in an episode that aired on PBS Wednesday.
Up in a bamboo tree, a female watches to determine which will win her favor.
Female pandas are only fertile for a few days, so competition between males is intense.
‘Nothing like this has ever been seen before,’ the narrator announces.
As the two males thrash around on the ground, a female watches from a tree. Pandas are only fertile for a few days, so competition between males is intense
A week later the camera finds the female again, this time mating with the younger challenger. ‘He sniffs, licks the ground, and drools. She’s come into estrus and is finally ready,’ the narrator announces
One male emerges victor, but the female is not in the mood just yet and he backs away.
Both suitors follow her, waiting for her to enter heat.
Their competition is long and surprisingly aggressive, with fights, fierce roars and scent markings.
And at times, the males even hold the female ‘hostage.’
It’s not until a week later that the camera finds the female again, this time alone with the younger challenger.
Pandas are typically solitary creatures, sticking to one area. But during their mating season, between the end of winter and the beginning of spring, they’ll travel for miles a day in search of a mate
‘Youth has won out,’ says the narrator. ‘He sniffs, licks the ground, and drools. She’s come into estrus and is finally ready. Then, in what they may imagine is a discreet corner, they mate.’
Pandas are typically solitary creatures, sticking to one area. But during their mating season, between the end of winter and the beginning of spring, they’ll travel for miles a day in search of a mate.
They also get surprisingly vocal when it’s time to partner up.
‘Their calls would echo the whole mountain,’ filmmaker Jacky Poon told PBS. ‘This is one of the main ways we track pandas in the wild, by following their calls.’
Earlier this year a pair of pandas at a zoo in Hong Kong successfully mated for the first time.
In April, Le Le and Ying Ying, residents of Hong Kong’s Ocean Park Zoo ‘succeeded in natural mating’ for the first time ever,’ the zoo said in a statement.
Due to the pandemic, Ocean Park had been closed to the public since late January.
Le Le and Ying Ying arrived at the park in 2007 and had not mated since attempts were made to unite the pair in 2010.
In April, Le Le and Ying Ying, residents of Hong Kong’s Ocean Park Zoo ‘succeeded in natural mating’ for the first time ever,’ the zoo said in a statement.
Earlier attempts by zookeepers to bring about natural mating had been fruitless.
‘Since Ying Ying and Le Le’s arrival in Hong Kong in 2007, and attempts at natural mating since 2010, they unfortunately have yet to succeed until this year,’ said Michael Boos, executive director of zoological operation and conservation.
In late March, zoo staff noticed Ying Ying, the female, began spending more time playing in the water, while Le Le started leaving scent-markings around his habitat and searching the area for Ying Ying’s scent.
‘The successful natural mating process today is extremely exciting for all of us, as the chance of pregnancy via natural mating is higher than by artificial insemination,’ said Boos.
The zoo is now closely monitoring Ying Ying’s body and behavioral changes to see if she could be pregnant.
tablet for allergy on skin is claritin stronger than benadryl allergy pills non drowsy
drugs for chemo induced nausea clozaril 100mg for sale
accutane 10mg canada buy isotretinoin 40mg sale buy generic accutane 40mg
order generic amoxicillin 1000mg purchase amoxil oral amoxil 250mg
where can i buy doxylamine modafinil 100mg pills
buy azithromycin cheap buy azithromycin 500mg pills buy azithromycin generic
cheap neurontin without prescription brand gabapentin 800mg
buy cheap generic azithromycin how to buy azipro purchase azithromycin pill
buy lasix tablets cheap furosemide 100mg
omnacortil 10mg uk prednisolone 40mg tablet omnacortil 10mg for sale
brand amoxicillin buy amoxicillin without prescription amoxicillin 1000mg for sale
monodox pills doxycycline pills
buy ventolin 4mg pills ventolin ca albuterol pill
order augmentin 375mg generic order augmentin 1000mg pills
synthroid cheap synthroid 100mcg cheap order synthroid 150mcg online cheap
levitra 10mg price vardenafil sale
clomiphene 100mg drug clomid 100mg cost purchase clomiphene pills
order tizanidine generic zanaflex ca where can i buy tizanidine
prednisone without prescription deltasone price purchase prednisone online
order rybelsus for sale rybelsus cheap purchase rybelsus online
accutane 40mg oral isotretinoin 20mg without prescription accutane 10mg pills
order amoxicillin 250mg without prescription amoxil 1000mg us cheap amoxicillin online
order ventolin 4mg pills cost ventolin 4mg generic ventolin 2mg
azithromycin 250mg oral how to buy azithromycin zithromax price
clavulanate generic order augmentin 1000mg generic brand augmentin 1000mg
buy generic omnacortil online generic omnacortil 5mg omnacortil price
synthroid 75mcg drug buy cheap generic levothyroxine synthroid over the counter
gabapentin 800mg sale buy generic gabapentin 100mg buy gabapentin 600mg without prescription
clomid 50mg generic order clomid 100mg sale buy serophene generic
order furosemide without prescription lasix uk buy lasix 100mg pills
viagra 100mg cheap sildenafil 100mg generic buy sildenafil 100mg
vibra-tabs pills order doxycycline 200mg generic monodox oral
purchase rybelsus for sale buy rybelsus 14 mg pill rybelsus pills
casino game poker online best free casino games no registration no download
purchase triamcinolone for sale buy triamcinolone online cheap aristocort 10mg brand
buy cialis without prescription tadalafil online tadalafil for women
buy clarinex generic desloratadine pills clarinex where to buy
cenforce pills cenforce over the counter buy cenforce generic
buy claritin generic buy loratadine online buy loratadine online
buy cheap aralen aralen canada chloroquine sale
buy priligy no prescription oral priligy 60mg cytotec 200mcg usa
purchase xenical online cheap xenical medication diltiazem 180mg cheap
cost glycomet 1000mg glucophage pills glycomet 500mg sale
buy acyclovir 800mg sale allopurinol 300mg pill allopurinol 300mg tablet
order amlodipine generic brand amlodipine order norvasc for sale
buy crestor online cheap crestor online order buy zetia 10mg pill
purchase lisinopril generic order lisinopril for sale zestril online
buy domperidone pill domperidone uk tetracycline without prescription
prilosec online buy prilosec 20mg without prescription order prilosec generic
flexeril 15mg ca brand cyclobenzaprine 15mg buy baclofen pills for sale
order metoprolol 100mg pills order metoprolol 100mg pill buy metoprolol 100mg online cheap
toradol for sale buy ketorolac colcrys sale
cost atenolol where to buy tenormin without a prescription tenormin cheap
methylprednisolone online pharmacy buy methylprednisolone paypal medrol 8mg otc
inderal 20mg usa purchase inderal without prescription plavix 75mg uk
writing assignments writing dissertation service i need help with my research paper
buy methotrexate online warfarin 2mg cheap coumadin 5mg cheap
order reglan 20mg without prescription losartan 25mg drug order losartan 25mg online cheap
tamsulosin online buy buy celebrex online buy celebrex 100mg online cheap
esomeprazole sale topamax 200mg without prescription order topiramate sale
imitrex 25mg for sale buy levofloxacin 250mg sale levofloxacin tablet
zofran 8mg usa zofran 8mg pill spironolactone usa
avodart 0.5mg cheap buy ranitidine 300mg for sale order zantac 300mg pills
simvastatin uk buy simvastatin no prescription order valacyclovir 1000mg for sale
buy generic propecia over the counter proscar 5mg cheap fluconazole without prescription
order baycip – order augmentin buy amoxiclav without prescription
order cipro 1000mg – buy generic augmentin for sale amoxiclav buy online
order flagyl 200mg without prescription – order amoxicillin without prescription zithromax order
ciplox uk – purchase chloromycetin online buy erythromycin 500mg without prescription
buy valacyclovir 500mg generic – order acyclovir 800mg online order zovirax pills
ivermectin 3mg without prescription – cefuroxime 250mg brand order tetracycline 250mg online
buy furosemide tablets – order lasix 100mg for sale order captopril 25 mg generic
order glucophage – buy cheap glycomet lincomycin 500mg price
retrovir canada – order glucophage 500mg for sale zyloprim where to buy
clozapine generic – order frumil 5 mg pills cost pepcid
buy seroquel no prescription – luvox 100mg brand buy eskalith