The failure of Scotland’s only resident giant pandas to provide a cub has been “hugely disappointing”, the chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland has said as the pair prepare to return to China this year.
David Field, who joined the charity that runs Edinburgh Zoo in 2020, said pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang — also known as Sweetie and Sunshine — appeared to be a perfect match when they arrived from China in 2011.
But he admitted the animals just failed to gel, adding: “If it was Tinder perhaps Tian Tian wouldn’t have swiped right.”
Tian Tian and Yang Guang, both 19 years old, will return to China without having any offspring, despite attempts at natural breeding and artificial insemination since 2013.
Tian Tian, the female, produced twins prior to coming to Scotland, but annual efforts to produce a cub in Scotland have failed. Yang Guang was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2018 and castrated. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland said breeding would not be attempted during their remaining period in the country.
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Field said: “It’s hugely disappointing. Baby pandas are just beautiful. They are exquisite, they are endearing, they are glorious, they are one of the most fantastic ambassadors for people falling back in love with nature.
“But I think the biggest disappointment has been for Tian Tian, because that maternal cycle is really important for them as part of their natural behavioural repertoire — everything from all the hormonal cycles to the nest building to rearing.
“I think it’s just been one of those things. What I’m really happy about is that they are the happiest, the most content, the most glorious pandas.
“Seeing Tian Tian climbing up the trees, watching her during her breeding cycle, sitting in the pool splashing away and bleating to Yang Guang, we’ve been able to create that environment for them and we’ve got two very content and very happy pandas.”
He added: “Sometimes animals just don’t get on. Genetically they were apparently an extremely good match but behaviourally, if it was Tinder, perhaps Tian Tian wouldn’t have swiped right if she had the choice.”
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The pandas came to Scotland in 2011 on an initial ten-year arrangement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. The first giant pandas in the UK for 17 years, they flew into Edinburgh on a special Panda Express cargo plane.
Field joined the society during the pandemic, when the zoo was closed to visitors and faced an uncertain future. He revealed that the organisation’s Chinese partners sent PPE including masks and gloves and even allowed the society to defer a $500,000 panda loan payment to ensure the precious animals continued to receive the best care.
Breeding attempts were cancelled in 2020 for Covid-related reasons but there were hopes of success in 2021. “Seeing the way Tian Tian was behaving we just thought, ‘you know what, let’s give it one more try’,” Field said.
“Every single behavioural, physiological, hormonal star was aligned and it was great. The artificial insemination happened around three o’clock one Saturday morning. She had a wee sleep, the guys did the artificial insemination, she woke up and she was in a big bed of straw and had a yawn and a honey carrot. It was so well undertaken.”
It was announced in 2021 that the society had negotiated a two-year extension to the end of 2023. However, officials said recently that the pandas may return to China as early as October, to be replaced eventually by another “exciting” species.
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Field said the society and its partners could be proud of its contribution to giant panda breeding research, while visitors have delighted in seeing the animals up close.
