Chapter 162: Chapter 728: Confirming the Scent, Meeting the Right Panda!
At the Panda Pavilion!
Yun Duo walked over to the resting rack and slowly climbed up.
She lay on her side on the platform, rubbing the back of her neck against the rough bark, and then rubbed her cheeks as well.
One paw clutched a branch behind her, and she kicked her hind legs upward, twisting her waist as if trying to scratch her back with this motion!
She repeatedly lifted her feet, scratching the bark with her claws, which left a few wood shavings. She then rubbed her face and soft ears with her paws and scratched her belly with her feet.
She seemed to be itching all over, scratching here and there, feeling very uncomfortable.
Then she clutched the branch, opened her mouth, and let out a soft, sheep-like call.
"Meh hmm hmm hmm~~~ meh hmm hmm~~~"
She hummed while shaking her head, rubbing her butt against the platform below her.
She was both scratching an itch and marking her territory!
During the estrus period, giant pandas mark their territory with their urine, secretions from their anal glands, or a mixture of both, spreading their scent on tree trunks, walls, and frequently visited places.
After marking their territory, they would strip the bark or leave scratch marks to attract other pandas' attention.
When a female panda marks her scent, it means she is ready to mate. Male pandas, after finding the female's scent, will communicate through vocalizations to express their interest.
After rubbing for a while, she moved to another spot and hugged a tire toy.
Her chubby butt sat on the tire, completely enveloping it.
She hugged the tire with her front paws, rocking her body back and forth like a child playing with their feet on a table, leaning back in a chair.
She looked carefree and adorable, but in reality, she was in agony!
The short estrus period meant she wasn't eating or drinking, and she could lose over ten pounds.
After rubbing for a while, she leaned back with the tire in her paws.
She looked like a large sticky rice dumpling, slowly lying down on the ground!
Her legs clamped around the tire, swinging back and forth unconsciously.
It seemed she was discreetly doing something naughty.
After clamping the tire for a while, she rolled forward and sat back down.
She stared blankly ahead, her belly rising and falling as if she had just finished running, panting continuously.
Suddenly, her legs, which had been clamping the tire, flopped open as if she had exhausted all her strength, splaying outwards.
She exhaled a long breath, entering a state of calm.
Fang Ye, Guan Shan, Lan Li, and others observed Yun Duo's condition from outside.
Since everyone was relatively free, they all came to watch the rare scene.
Fang Ye stroked his chin and said, "It looks like Yun Duo is already in the mood for romance and wants to find a male panda for some love!"
Lan Li, looking puzzled, asked, "Huh, how can you tell?"
Fang Ye chuckled, "Let me share a little-known fact: pandas also engage in self-soothing behaviors!"
Lan Li thought about Yun Duo's actions and blushed slightly, whispering, "I thought she was just playing..."
Guan Shan, looking forward to it, said, "It seems we can let them meet now!"
Fang Ye nodded, "Yes, we can open the gate now!"
The Panda Pavilion's layout resembles a Yin-Yang Taiji diagram with a wavy wall in the middle.
Usually, the two pandas are separated by this wall and cannot see each other.
The edge areas are actually connected, covered by a double wall and an iron gate with bars in the middle, which had never been opened before.
The introduction process is gradual, starting with swapping enclosures to let them smell each other's feces, allowing them to get familiar with each other's scent, followed by meeting through the bars.
If the two pandas show interest in each other after meeting, the gate will be opened for natural mating.
If the pandas show no reaction or interest in each other, they will be given a new mate or undergo artificial insemination.
Of course, Yun Duo and Zhuang Zhuang do not have other mates to choose from, so if they are not interested, artificial insemination will be the only option.
Natural mating is always preferable.
Despite all the preparations, everyone still felt a bit nervous.
The keepers received the order and removed the wall covering, revealing the iron gate.
Yun Duo and Zhuang Zhuang moved around the activity area, occasionally stopping to scratch an itch and leaving their scent marks.
When Zhuang Zhuang walked near the wall, he suddenly sensed something different and began sniffing carefully.
Following the scent, he detected a faint smell in the air, similar to the scent in his enclosure from the past few days, belonging to a female panda he had never met!
Zhuang Zhuang became excited!
Following the scent, he discovered that the wall had somehow turned into a gate?
The strong scent of the female panda was coming from the other side.
Zhuang Zhuang pressed his face against the gate, eagerly looking at the other side, but with his extreme nearsightedness, he could only see clearly up to 5 meters, beyond that, everything was a blur.
But his sense of smell didn't lie!
"Meh~~~ meh~~~"
Zhuang Zhuang called out loudly at the gate, pacing excitedly back and forth!
Yun Duo heard the commotion and came over!
The two pandas stood in front of the gate, quietly observing each other.
Perhaps as cubs, they had clung to the same leg or drank milk from the same bowl at the panda base, but those memories were too distant, and they had changed a lot since then, with no recollection of each other.
Fang Ye watched this historic moment with a mix of excitement and nervousness!
"Meh~"
Yun Duo softly called out, breaking the silence.
It was like a greeting!
"Meh~~~"
Zhuang Zhuang responded with a trembling call!
Yun Duo realized that the familiar voice she had been hearing for the past few days belonged to him!
The two pandas moved closer, pressing their faces against the gate, carefully sniffing each other's scent.
Thanks to the zoo's preparation of swapping their enclosures, they felt quite familiar with each other after meeting.
They then started rubbing against the gate, leaving their scent!
Yun Duo, with her tail raised, rubbed against the gate, while Zhuang Zhuang eagerly sniffed her scent without any shame.
Previously, it was like chatting with someone online, having some understanding but still feeling a barrier.
No matter how well they chatted online, it was necessary to meet in person to see if there was mutual attraction and if the other was their type!
Zhuang Zhuang took a deep breath, ah, this is the scent! Just my type!
After Zhuang Zhuang finished sniffing, it was Yun Duo's turn!
Panda romance is quite particular, though humans might find their methods a bit embarrassing.
After sniffing each other's scent, both pandas found each other appealing!
Through the bars, they began calling out to each other in soft, affectionate tones.
"Meh~~ hmm~~"
"Hmm, hmm~~~"
They called out to each other, saying who knows what sweet nothings.
Watching this scene, Fang Ye couldn't help but clench his fist in happiness!
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