Copenhagen Zoo hopes for panda cub after years of failed attempts

Copenhagen Zoo is watching its female panda closely after her behaviour suggested a possible pregnancy, though a false pregnancy cannot yet be ruled out, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

The zoo has spent six years trying, without success, to breed its pair of pandas. Zoological director Mads Bertelsen said Mao Sun’s recent behaviour—reduced eating, nest-building—mirrors past years when she was not pregnant, but could also signal an actual pregnancy.

“Pandas experience what’s called a false pregnancy, or pseudopregnancy, every year, whether they are pregnant or not,” Bertelsen said. “For the past six years, when she wasn’t mated, she stopped eating around this time, built a den, and showed the same behaviour we’re seeing now. It could mean she’s pregnant, but it could also be a false alarm.”

Ultrasound scans are being conducted several times a week, but confirmation may only come in the final two weeks of a potential pregnancy, as panda foetuses are extremely small. The zoo expects to confirm or rule out a pregnancy between mid- and late August.