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The only female giant panda in the UK has conceived at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland. Due to the notorious difficulty of breeding the endangered “gentle giants” Tian Tian, 10, was artificially inseminated using the sperm from Britain's only male panda – Yang Guang. While zoo staff celebrates the rare conception it is not yet known if Tian Tian will actually become pregnant because, with pandas, the embryo cannot be implanted immediately. If all goes to plan one or two blind, hairless and helpless cubs will be born as early as next month. Ian Valentine, director of giant pandas for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland said: “Tian Tian is in great health, very relaxed, at a good weight and she's eating well as keepers and scientists continue to monitor her”. Tian Tian Yang Guan, 10, are the first giant pandas to live in the UK for 17 years. (Photo by Edinburgh Zoo/Splash News)
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