Scientists in China struggle to save the last 1000 pandas

Scientists in China struggle... ...to save the last 1000 pandas The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, in southwestern China's Sichuan province, is the heart of the country's campaign to save its national emblem from extinction. It has been the pioneer in using artificial insemination to reproduce the notoriously frigid and infertile animal.

Photos and text by Justin Jin/LightMediation

2379-16: Female panda Lun Lun feeds on bamboosleeps in at the Chengdu Research Base. The panda, which was conceived by artificial insemination, is now two years old and has been loaned to Zoo Atlanta for a 10-year stint starting 1999. Her other favourite foods include apples and carrots, zoo keepers said.

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2379-01: One-month-old female panda Lun Lun lies in its incubator.

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2379-03: A veterinarian in Chengdu blows a syringe filled with anaesthetics at a panda ahead of artificial insemination. The syringe dart, filled with ketamine hydrochloride, would knock the 100kg animal out for

2379-04: A zoo keeper feeds six-month-old male panda Shi Shi. The diet of Shi Shi, a product of artificial insemination, is supplemented with 150 ml of cow's milk twice a day. The baby's main nutrients come from

Panda Insemination

Panda Kebi looks distraght after being shot with anaesthetics / 2379-05: Male panda Kebi looks distraught after a veterinarian in Chengdu shot it with anaesthetics prior to sperm collection. The 5-1/2 year-old,

Panda expert checks electric instrument before inserting into male panda's anus / 2379-06: Panda reproduction specialist Zhang Meijia checks an instrument before inserting the electrode into the anus of

/ 2379-07: Veterinarian Ye Zhiyong (Top) at the Chengdu panda breeding center collects the sperm of panda Kebi, while his colleague holds an electrode inside the 100kg animal's rectum. The electrode emits

Veterinarians extracts sperm from male panda / 2379-08: Veterinarian Ye Zhiyong (Top) at the Chengdu panda breeding center collects the sperm of panda Kebi, while his colleague holds an electrode inside the

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2379-03: A veterinarian in Chengdu blows a syringe filled with anaesthetics at a panda ahead of artificial insemination. The syringe dart, filled with ketamine hydrochloride, would knock the 100kg animal out for about 30 minutes. Veterinarians say they try to limit the number of operations on the precious animals to avoid side effects from the drug.

Panda Insemination

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Veterinarians examines panda sperm under microscope / 2379-10: Senior veterinarian Hou Rong at the Chengdu panda breeding center examines the sperm of panda Kebi with a microscope. Of the 3 ml of

Veterinarian prepare panda sperm for storage / 2379-11: Senior veterinarian Hou Rong at the Chengdu panda breeding center prepares the sperm of panda Kebi for freezing. Of the 3 ml of sperm that was

Panda Insemination / 2379-12: Two-weeks-old male panda Yang Yang rests in an incubator. / China / Chengdu

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2379-23: Veterinarians tie down a male panda for sperm extraction.

Panda Insemination

A Chinese veterinarian inseminates female panda in Chengdu / 2379-13: A veterinarian at the Chengdu Zoo inseminates female panda Eryatou with the freshly collected sperm of Kebi. A typical 100 kg female

Veterinarians collect blood from female panda / 2379-14: A veterinarian (L) at the Chengdu zoo collects blood from female panda Eryatou for health tests and biological research. The 100 kg panda was

Panda Yang Yang rests on a tree as Lun Lun roams the bushes / 2379-15: Male panda Yang Yang (top) rests on a tree while female panda Lun Lun forages the bush at the Chengdu Panda Base of Giant Panda

Female panda Lun Lun eats bamboo in Chengdu / 2379-16: Female panda Lun Lun feeds on bamboosleeps in at the Chengdu Research Base. The panda, which was conceived by artificial

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2379-12: Two-weeks-old male panda Yang Yang rests in an incubator.

Panda Insemination

Panda Yang Yang bites Lun Lun as third panda looks on / 2379-17: Male panda Yang Yang (top) bites female panda Lun Lun as a third panda looks on at the Chengdu Panda Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

Panda Yang Yang pushes Lun Lun off a slide / 2379-18: Male panda Yang Yang pushes female panda Lun Lun off a slide as they play at the bush at the Chengdu Panda Base of Giant Panda Breeding. The

Panda Yang Yang falls from swing after pushing Lun Lun off / 2379-19: Male panda Yang Yang (top) falls after he pushed female panda Lun Lun off a swing at the Chengdu Panda Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

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Panda Insemination

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A red panda stands in Chengdu / 2379-22: A red panda stands on the grounds of the Chengdu Research base of Giant Panda Breeding. The red panda, a distant cousin to the more famous giant panda, is

Panda Insemination / 2379-23: Veterinarians tie down a male panda for sperm extraction.

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2379-04: A zoo keeper feeds six-month-old male panda Shi Shi. The diet of Shi Shi, a product of artificial insemination, is supplemented with 150 ml of cow's milk twice a day. The baby's main nutrients come from the milk of his mother, fourteen-year-old Chen Chen (R).