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jambo
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Pandas at Thailand zoo mate for first time in two years

First posted 00:06am (Mla time) Jan 19, 2006
Associated Press



BANGKOK, Thailand -- At first, it was a purely platonic relationship. But after two years in the same enclosure, giant pandas Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui have started mating, raising hopes they could give birth to a baby in the coming months.

The pandas started the mating dance Sunday with a mock wrestling bout, according to officials at the Chiang Mai Zoo in northern Thailand. From there, the pair began sniffing one another on Tuesday and mated later in the day.

"The pandas are very happy. For the last two days, they have made love together," said Rossukhon Chuicomwong, head of public relations for the Chiang Mai Zoo. "We are so happy because maybe we'll have a baby panda soon."

The Thai press Wednesday was filled with photos of the black and white bears mating. Hundreds of visitors gathered at the zoo to watch the ritual, which officials expect will continue for two or three days.

The mating follows a mock wedding held in November for the pair, in which guests --some
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dressed in panda costumes -- marched and played music in a traditional Thai wedding procession to the zoo.

The pandas' living quarters were decorated with a large, festive red ribbon and a carved dragon decoration.

Thailand rented Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui from China for US$250,000 in October 2003 for 10 years. They are expected to generate millions of dollars in revenues from Thai and foreign tourists.

There are as few as 1,600 giant pandas in the mountain forests of central China, according zoo officials. An additional 120 are in Chinese breeding facilities and zoos, and about 20 live in zoos outside China.

Pandas are threatened by loss of habitat, poaching and a low reproduction rate. Females in the wild normally have a cub once every two to three years.
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