Is Tian Tian the panda pregnant?

After years of waiting experts at Edinburgh Zoo say there are strong indications that their female panda, Tian Tian is pregnant.

They say they won't know for sure until just before she is due to give birth - at the end of this month or in early September.

If she is pregnant the cub will be the first giant panda cub to ever be born in the UK.

Tian Tian and the male, Yang Guang, are the UK's only pair of giant pandas.

They arrived in Scotland two years ago and are being rented by Edinburgh Zoo from the Chinese government.

The pandas will stay in Edinburgh for ten years, for an annual fee of about £600,000. But it's hoped that the pandas will attract many more visitors to the zoo, making the investment worthwhile.

Mr Valentine, director of the zoo's giant panda programme, said: "It's hugely exciting. There's never been a baby panda born in the UK."

  • Published