London - A giant panda faked being pregnant in order to get special treatment from her carers, zoo experts claim.
Eleven-year-old Yuan Yuan was thought to have been expecting a second cub after breeders artificially inseminated her in March.
The panda, who lives in Taipei Zoo in Taiwan, began showing signs of pregnancy, including a decrease in appetite, in early June.
As a result she was moved to a private air-conditioned room and given round-the-clock care, as well as receiving more fresh fruit and bamboo.
However, after Chinese experts gave Yuan Yuan an ultrasound scan, it was discovered she was not pregnant, and that the symptoms of her so-called pregnancy were already returning to normal.
A spokesperson from the zoo has now told local media that they believe the clever panda displayed behavioural changes similar to those shown by pregnant females in order to get better living conditions.
This is possibly after Yuan Yuan noticed the different treatment she received the last time she was pregnant, having given birth to cub Yuan Zai in July 2013.
Yuan Yuan, along with her partner Tuan Tuan, was given to Taiwan by the Chinese government in 2008. Their names create the phrase ‘”uan yuan” in Chinese, which means “reunion”.
Daily Mail