Panda couple mates for first time in 13 yrs together at Hong Kong; Covid lockdown credited

A middle-aged giant Panda couple have mated for the first time in over 10 years together in Hong Kong. According to reports, the Pandas- Ying Ying and Le Le - had been at Ocean Park Zoo since 2007, but they had shown very little interest towards each other. No, however, as per local media, they've come together, with the increased privacy owing to the Coronavirus lockdown also being attributed.  

Earlier, Chinese scientists had artificially inseminated the female Panda, however, it had resulted in miscarriages. But when the pandemic forced the closure of the zoo, the two pandas had started getting closer. According to reports, the female Panda's pregnancy is still unclear, however, hormonal fluctuations and behavioural changes may give a clue by June. As per an official release by the Zoo, the successful mating process is exciting for everyone as the chance of pregnancy via natural mating is higher than by artificial insemination.

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The Coronavirus Crisis

The outbreak of the novel Coronavirus from China led to a global lockdown after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it as a Pandemic. Currently, there are around 936 cases of Coronavirus reported in Hong Kong. 

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Meanwhile, presently, there are around 1,419,142 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, which has led to the death of around 81,512 people. Along with it, around 301,497 people have reportedly recovered. Leading the number of global positive cases of coronavirus, the United States has become the new epicentre of the pandemic surpassing China, Italy, and Iran. 

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