China News Service, Hong Kong, August 5 (Reporter Zhang Xiaoxi) Hong Kong Ocean Park revealed on the 5th that it is continuing to observe the behavior of the giant panda Yingying showing signs of pregnancy in the park, and trying to collect information about Yingying’s hormone levels and behavior changes. And provide it with food with higher nutritional value, reduce external noise and interference, etc.

  The assistant curator of Hong Kong Ocean Park Hu Qiqi said in a telephone interview with a reporter from China News Agency on the 5th that the female giant panda Yingying, who had just turned 15 in August, had a successful relationship with a male giant panda of the same age in the park, Lele. Mating, and later signs of pregnancy, including decreased appetite, increased rest time, etc.

  Hu Qiqi said that it has not yet been confirmed whether Yingying is really pregnant, but the park has taken special care to Yingying, including providing it with high nutritional value food such as wowotou and bamboo shoots, hoping to meet her needs. In addition, giant pandas are highly sensitive to the environment during pregnancy. The park has minimized the external noise and interference in Yingying's living environment and maintained its original living environment.

  Hu Qiqi said that the 15-year-old Yingying is not considered an "advanced mother" among giant pandas. In a captive breeding environment, some female giant pandas can reproduce to 20 years old, so Yingying is still an "adult mother" of normal age.

  The male giant panda Lele, who naturally mates with Yingying, came to Hong Kong from Sichuan in 2007 with Yingying. It is reported that Lele and Yingying entered their first mating season in 2011, during which time Yingying had false pregnancies and termination of pregnancy. Hu Qiqi revealed that Yingying was also sent back to Sichuan in 2015 to join the national giant panda breeding program. She was confirmed to be pregnant that year, but ultimately failed to give birth.

  Hu Qiqi mentioned that there are three giant pandas in Ocean Park, namely An'an, Yingying and Lele. There was also a giant panda Jiajia who died in 2016 at the age of 38. Giant panda An An just celebrated its 34th birthday in August and is currently the longest-lived male giant panda in captivity in the world. The four pandas were presented by the central government to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

  Qiqi Hu said that the park will continue to observe Yingying’s behavior and collect some information about Yingying’s hormone levels and behavior changes. If her hormone levels are high, and she is irritable, walking around, etc., it means a lot. Opportunities will produce.

  She also revealed that the gestation period of a giant panda is about 70 days to more than 300 days, if not very extreme, it is an average of 120 days to 140 days, which is about four to five months.

  "We thought about using ultrasound to observe Yingying, but it also depends on its condition. If it sleeps all day, we can't do it either." Hu Qiqi said. She said that the park will continue to observe, and if there is news, it will be announced to the public in time.

  Affected by the new crown pneumonia epidemic, Hong Kong Ocean Park was closed for the second time this year on July 14. The park said that it will continue to pay close attention to the development of the epidemic, cooperate with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government's epidemic prevention measures and requirements, and continue to take care of the giant pandas and other animals in the park. It is hoped that the park will reopen as soon as possible to meet with tourists again. (Finish)