Chinese and American scientists have decided to use high technology to explore the mysteries of the sexual lives of giant pandas.
Giant pandas are reclusive animals, prompting researchers to use GPS sensors to uncover what truly happens behind the bamboo leaves.
“For a long time, giant pandas have been inaccessible, and conventional observation methods have failed to reveal the physiological mysteries of this species,” said Wei Fuwen, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “Tracking their traces with advanced technologies and observing their sexual behavior will help us find ways to prevent the risk of extinction for this species.”
The Chinese Academy of Sciences has partnered with the San Diego Zoo to conduct the three-year, $660,000 Peeping Tom project at the Foping Nature Reserve in Shanxi Province, China.
However, curious scientists have little hope of seeing much, even when pandas believe they are alone and unnoticed. A lack of sexual interest is one of the main reasons this species is critically endangered, and measures ranging from Viagra for pandas to adult films have not proven very helpful.
By the end of 2004, China had successfully bred 163 pandas in captivity, while nearly 1,600 were living in the wild in Sichuan, Shanxi, and Gansu.
M.T. (according to AFP)
