Officials at the center also put on live sex shows, where two inexperienced pandas are encourage to watch two pandas that have been successful at mating as they have sex, in order to demonstrate correct mating technique.
“We arrange lovemaking between two excellent pandas in front of inexperienced pandas that have never had sex. It does work,” an official said.
Still considered an endangered species, China said that is has 239 pandas living in capitivity, 27 on loan to facilities abroad, and 1,569 living in the wild. Because the pandas are solitary creatures except during mating season, they often have to be trained to participate in mating behaviors, especially when born in captivity.
Keepers at the center also have put the pandas on a regime of sex-positive exercise.
Bears are offered a piece of apple dangled from a string above their heads. When the bears reach to get it, they are forced to walk on their hind legs, which strengthens their leg and pelvic muscles and helps in their reproductive abilities.
“After pandas succeed in taking the standing-up exercise, we feed them apples to reward them,” keeper Yang Kuxing said.
In addition, females that are in season are artificially inseminated to increase the chances of pregnancy occurring.
