Edinburgh Panda Artificially Inseminated
The UK's only female giant panda Tian Tian has been artificially inseminated for a third time.
Edinburgh Zoo said the procedure took place earlier today, before an attempt is made at natural mating with partner Yang Guang later.
Keepers have inseminated Tian Tian on two previous occasions but she has failed to produce a panda cub.
Iain Valentine from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs Edinburgh Zoo, said: "Natural mating will also be attempted today before the short breeding window comes to a close this afternoon as both pandas remain extremely interested in one another, but as Tian Tian's transition to peak was so rapid it was a priority to move straight to artificial insemination first.
"Throughout yesterday Tian Tian remained very quiet and sleepy, but by 5pm there was a behavioural shift and the results of hormone tests that came back at 7pm, carried out by the University of Edinburgh, confirmed ovulation had occurred.
"As each individual panda is different and their pattern can vary from year to year, this is why we start hormone monitoring via urine samples so early and continually observe our female via CCTV as the window approaches.
"Tian Tian is doing very well and everything went according to plan.''
The panda enclosure will remain closed until Sunday.