Yes, that is correct. The mating of pandas is creating headlines. I suppose anything not related to the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to create headlines these days. However, this seems to have a coronavirus angle as well – here’s why pandas mating is newsworthy and why it has COVID a connection:
Apparently, pandas mating naturally are so unusual, that this announcement was made.
In the world of animal conservation, pandas mating naturally, is a huge deal. They are not very amorous creatures it would seem. Usually, conservationists have to use artificial insemination to get these giants to procreate.
One tweet thought that the whole panda-porn thing was unseemly so someone else helpfully blurred out the faces in response.
The original video sounded like someone was trying to crank up a car engine and this person thought that a romantic song was more appropriate.
Apparently it isn't just general laziness; there is some problem due to equipment insufficiency that is also responsible for the rarity of this event.
That is a very long patch of celibacy --- perhaps not so by panda standards. Not only do they mate infrequently, but these large creatures are also known to be responsible for negligently letting the infants that they do produce, die.
It was probably the need for privacy that prevented mating all these years?
The zoo that houses the pandas has been under lockdown. This is precisely what the pandas seemed to want – no prying eyes – to get it on.
These pandas had been socially distancing for a long time. Now that humans are socially isolating, the pandas seemed to get into the mood.
We don’t yet know if the mating was successful. All we know is that it took something like the coronavirus pandemic to give these animals the privacy they needed to get on with things.
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