Giant Panda Tian Tian Believed To Be Pregnant, Edinburgh Zoo Says

24 August 2017, 17:04 | Updated: 24 August 2017, 17:06

The UK's only female giant panda Tian Tian is believed to be pregnant, Edinburgh Zoo has said.

The surprise news came to light in correspondence between the zoo and the Scottish Government, which suggested the due date could be Friday.

However, the zoo said the exact date was hard to predict.

A spokeswoman for Royal Zoological Society of Scotland Edinburgh Zoo said: "Giant panda breeding is a very complicated process but we believe that Tian Tian is pregnant.

"Although a specific date was suggested, like all babies it's hard to predict precisely and the panda breeding season can last until late September.

"Tian Tian is being closely monitored by our expert team and we will be the first to share any news as soon as we can."

It follows repeated attempts over several years to see if the female giant panda could produce a cub.