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China Kicks Off High-Tech Project To Spy On Pandas' Sex Lives
Beijing (AFP) Sep 26, 2005 Chinese and American scientists will use high technology in an attempt to unveil the darkest secrets of the giant panda's sex life, state media said Monday. Giant pandas are unusually discreet animals, forcing researchers to resort to Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors to find out what's really happening behind the bamboo leaves, the Xinhua news agency reported. "Giant pandas are inaccessible for long periods of time and traditional observation cannot unravel the ecological mystery of the animals," Wei Fuwen, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua. "Tracking them with advanced technologies and observing their sex activities might help us find ways to avoid their extinction," Wei said. The Chinese academy has linked up with the Zoological Society of San Diego for the three-year, 660,000-dollar "Peeping Tom" project at the Foping Natural Reserve in northwest China's Shaanxi province. Sadly, the curious scientists may find out that not much is going on even when the pandas believe they are alone and unobserved. A lack of interest in sex is one of the main reasons why the furry animal is endangered, and measures ranging from specially designed Viagra to panda porn movies have done little to change that. As of the end of 2004 China had raised 163 giant pandas in captivity, while almost 1,600 of the rare animals are believed to be living in the wild in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com
Panda Paparrazi Swoons Over Cub Tai Shan At Washington Zoo
Washington (AFP) Nov 29, 2005There was 'panda-monium' at Washington's National Zoo on Tuesday as fluffy giant panda cub Tai Shan cavorted for the cameras, in his first encounter with the media pack. |
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