The Edinburgh pandas (Tian Tian and Yang Guang) haven't really mastered the art of mating. Last year signs were promising but nothing came of it. This year the scientists seem to have been waiting for weeks for Tian Tian to hit the 36 hour window where she could conceive. Eventually she did, but despite Yang Guang's enthusiasm, she refused all advances.
So the experts decided to go down the artificial insemination route: creating baby pandas in so important that scientists will do almost anything to create them now! For all the details (including what I rate as an unneccessary photograph of poor Tian Tian in the surgery surrounded by vets), check out the BBC's report here.
And apparently, there's a choice of two different fathers: Yang Guang and Bao Bao. Bao Bao, who lived at Berlin Zoo, died last year, but not before his sperm was frozen! (Did I mention that scientists are pretty keen on making baby pandas?!)
We should know in July if Tian Tian is pregnant, and if there is to be a new panda then it would be born in late August/early September. Exciting!
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