Panda Accused Of Faking Pregnancy To Get Better Living Conditions
One of the resident giant pandas called Yuan Yuan was exhibiting signs of pregnancy, which is a very exciting thing among captive pandas, and one that can’t happen often enough. Everyone was happy about the news after reading the tell-tale symptoms such as thickening of the uterus and loss of appetite. The panda’s fecal progesterone concentration was also on the rise.
Turns out that the panda’s pregnancy was a false alarm, according to China Daily. Ultrasound scans showed that Yuan Yuan, who was artificially inseminated this year, was not in fact pregnant. The panda is now being faced with accusations she faked he pregnancy in order for the caretakers to shower her with better food and care. Pregnant pandas are usually treated better, moved to single rooms with air conditioning and showered with buns, fruit and bamboo. Panda experts say the panda may have been feigning pregnancy to reap these added benefits.
