why is it that the pandas in captivity don't have sex. the news keeps reporting this year after year and never give a really good reason. and why don't they just artificially insiminate them? i mean, if they're so concerned about the species, it would trump over "nature taking it's course," wouldn't it?
Why don't pandas in the zoo have sex?antispyware
Currently few males in the zoo population breed naturally. AI has limited success, but does work. However, it does not solve the problem of sexual drive. Many males show little or no sexual interest in females, while others are very aggressive to females. Females, too, sometimes fail to mate. For instance, females periodically have a "silent heat" in which they go through physiological estrus but do not show any behavioral signs. There is no clear medical reason for pandas' failure to breed.
My guess would be that psychological difficulty or trauma from transport. Research has been looking into other factors such as environments that a panda might find stimulating. It's research similar to what has been done with captive rhinos. They're starting to notice that pandas have individual personalities, something that people would think science would account for by now. But they are assuming at the moment, in this study, that the pandas personalities are playing a factor. I would make the same guess. i wonder though, what techniques they use for other bears in this situation and if those would work for pandas?
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