Despite signs of pregnancy, Adelaide Zoo's female panda Fu Ni will sadly not be welcoming the pitter-patter of tiny paws any time soon — and keepers are now investigating whether the breeding difficulties might have geographical causes.
The zoo has revealed that the giant panda has undergone either a "pseudopregnancy or a loss" following an attempt at artificial insemination using the sperm of mate Wang Wang.
Keepers monitoring Fu Ni's hormones confirmed they have returned to baseline levels, meaning she is not pregnant, and "are obviously disappointed that there will be no cub this year", the zoo said.
"Unfortunately we're not quite sure whether Fu Ni at any point was pregnant," zoo director Phil Ainsley said.
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