At Ueno Zoo, mating behavior was observed in Giant Panda on February 27, 2017, and the female, "Shin Shin," began exhibiting behavioral changes typical of pregnancy. However, since physical changes have also been observed, we have decided to suspend her exhibit from Thursday, May 25, 2017.

Please note that Giant Panda can experience a phenomenon called pseudopregnancy (*), so this does not mean that the pregnancy has been confirmed.

Giant Panda exhibit to be closed

Giant Panda "Shin Shin" (female)
Born on July 3, 2005, at the Wolong Protection Center in China.
(Date of photo: May 22, 2017)
* Male "Li Li" will be on display all day as usual. I will.

Exhibition suspension period From Thursday, May 25, 2017
*We will announce the reopening of the exhibition at a later date.

Shinshin's condition

My health remains as good as before.

Weight as of May 15th: 128.0 kg (No significant changes have been observed.)
Appetite: The amount of bamboo consumed has decreased since around May 16th.
Behavior: Since around May 16th, the amount of rest time has increased along with a decrease in appetite.
Physical changes: I was able to see my nipples starting around May 19th.
Hormonal changes: Since around May 20th, hormonal metabolites in the urine have shown an upward trend.

Progress so far

2016
Around December 8th, the male "Leelee" showed signs of being in heat.
2017
Around January 16th, a privacy fence was installed on the outside of the outdoor viewing walkway.
Around February 15th, the female "Shinshin" also began to show signs of estrus.
Release cancelled on February 22nd.
On February 27th, mating behavior was observed after placing them together.
February 28th: The female's estrus cycle is coming to an end.
March 2nd: Exhibition reopens

[*Note] False pregnancy
Pseudopregnancy is not a disease, but a type of physiological phenomenon. It is known that after ovulation, the process can follow the same course as pregnancy even without fertilization. After estrus, even without pregnancy, phenomena similar to those of pregnancy appear, such as elevated urinary hormone levels, lethargy, long periods of rest, loss of appetite, prominent nipples, breast swelling, and nest-building behavior. This is called pseudopregnancy. It ends when several days pass without giving birth and the above changes cease to be observed.


◎Related articles
"Giant Panda update (May 18)” (May 18, 2017)
"We will reopen Giant Panda exhibit from March 2nd.” (March 1, 2017)
"Giant Panda mating confirmed” (February 27, 2017)
"We will be suspending Giant Panda exhibit from February 22nd.” (February 21, 2017)
"We will begin preparations for breeding Giant Panda.” (January 16, 2017)

(May 23, 2017)