Exploring the Sexual Life of Pandas
Exploring the Sexual Life of Pandas
Chinese and American scientists have decided to use advanced technology to uncover the mysteries of the sexual behavior of giant pandas.
Giant pandas are highly reclusive animals, forcing researchers to rely on GPS sensors to learn what really happens behind the bamboo foliage.
“For a long time, giant pandas have been inaccessible, and conventional observation methods cannot unravel the physiological mysteries of this species,” said Wei Fuwen, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “Tracking them using advanced technology and observing their sexual behavior will help us find ways to prevent the extinction of this species.”
The Chinese Academy of Sciences collaborated with the San Diego Zoological Society to carry out the three-year Peeping Tom project, costing $660,000, in the Foping Nature Reserve in Shaanxi Province, China.
However, the curious scientists do not hold high hopes of witnessing much, even if the pandas believe they are alone and unobserved. A lack of sexual interest is one of the main reasons this species is critically endangered, and methods such as panda-specific Viagra and even panda pornography have not been very effective.
By the end of 2004, China had successfully bred 163 pandas in captivity, while an estimated 1,600 individuals remained in the wild across Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces.
