A pair of pandas in Hong Kong apparently enjoy self-isolation; they have finally decided to mate after a decade of putting it off.
Minus the crowds that usually visit them at Ocean park theme park, Ying Ying and Le Le have only had each other for company since the lockdown. Apparently, they made the best of their alone time.
“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 upon years of trial and learning,” said Ocean Park conservation official Michael Boos.
The park recently released photos of the two pandas ‘getting jiggy’ in their enclosure.
Apparently, while the fact that coronavirus has been keeping the crowds away was a factor, veterinarians were hoping that the pair would get it on during the panda’s short spring mating season.
“Since late March, Ying Ying began spending more time playing in the water, while Le Le has been leaving scent-markings around his habitat and searching the area for Ying Ying’s scent,” the park said.
Experts will now monitor Ying Ying for signs of pregnancy, but they will need to wait a while – giant pandas can stay pregnant for up to 324-days.
The news was a rare bit of good news in Hong Kong, which is currently under lockdown due to the coronavirus.
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