Giant panda closely monitored at Edinburgh Zoo for signs of labor

Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland are closely monitoring female giant panda Tian Tian for signs of labor. The team of panda keepers now have access to closed-circuit television footage at their homes and Tian Tian is being monitored round the clock for signs of giving birth, which is expected after the announcement of possible pregnancy earlier this month, said a press release of the zoo on Monday. If Tian Tian is pregnant and carries to full term, she will become increasingly restless and her waters will break, just like in human labor. Other labor signs include bleating and spending increased time in her cubbing box. Chinese panda keeper Haiping Hu, from the China Conservation and Research Centre in Sichuan, arrived in Edinburgh on Saturday to be on hand if a cub or cubs are born over the next two weeks, it added. This is still a very sensitive period for panda pregnancy as Tian Tian's body may reabsorb foetuses or reject them if she is indeed pregnant, said the zoo. Now, Tian Tian has access to her off show area and she is currently spending most of her time there, which is where her cubbing box is located. Extra insulation has also been installed in her enclosure to minimize noise. Iain Valentine, director of Giant Pandas for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said that a cub or cubs could be born anytime over the next two weeks if Tian Tian is indeed pregnant and a red alert has been kept on since Monday, although there are no certainties. Analysis results from Tian Tian's urine samples showed encouraging signs of pregnancy and her progesterone levels are continuing to stay high, which is reflected in her current sleepiness. Yang Guang and Tian Tian arrived at Edinburgh Zoo on Dec. 4, 2011 from China for a 10-year exchange program, after which they will be returned to China. Any panda cub born during that time will stay with the mother until the age of two before they are handed over to China.