ADELAIDE Zoo has missed out on baby panda joy for a fourth time, with the confirmation Fu Ni has had another pseudo pregnancy.

Hormone tests and behaviour observed by zoo keepers has led them to the conclusion she would have given birth by now if she was carrying a cub.

The hormonal change coincided with behaviours, including appetite changes, denning and finally adopting a toy as a surrogate baby, that suggest she experienced a pseudo birth.

Adelaide Zoo keepers say despite failed fourth genuine breeding attempt, they remain determined to succeed in the future.

Zoos SA senior panda keeper Jaimee Foote said the panda team had been treating Fu Ni as though she was pregnant since September when three artificial inseminations were performed, but were never able to confirm she was carrying a cub.

“During a pseudo pregnancy, hormonal changes and behaviours are identical to those of a true pregnancy, making it very difficult to determine if a Giant Panda is actually pregnant or not,” she said.

“Apart from a birth, the only definitive way to confirm pregnancy in pandas is through a comprehensive ultrasound examination where a foetus can be seen in the last few weeks of a pregnancy.

“While Fu Ni has allowed us to ultrasound her for short periods, and the ultrasounds showed some swelling and thickening of the uterus, we weren’t able to confirm a foetus.”

Ms Foot said Fu Ni had adopted a toy over the weekend and spends the day cradling and holding it close to her chest — which is consistent with a pseudo pregnancy.

“We’ll continue to monitor Fu Ni closely as she will now need time to recover and to eventually move on from her adopted toy.”

Giant Panda pair readied for breeding Giant Panda pair readied for breeding

Zoos SA veterinarian Dr David McLelland said the team had been hopeful after three successful artificial inseminations were carried out last year.

“We were extremely pleased with last year’s artificial insemination procedures, with results again confirming that Wang Wang’s semen is of a high quality,” he said.

“Artificial insemination has played an important role in the captive breeding of Giant Pandas around the world due to the species’ unique reproductive biology, but it doesn’t guarantee a pregnancy and subsequent birth.”

Zoos SA chief executive Elaine Bensted said activities that have occurred since the breeding season will put the zoo in good stead for future breeding seasons.

“Although Fu Ni did not give birth this year, we have every hope that she will go on to become a mother in the future,” she said.

“We’re now putting or energy and focus on the spring of 2018.”

Ms Bensted said the zoo understood breeding the Southern Hemisphere’s only Giant Pandas was going to be “incredibly challenging”.

“I know there can be a sense of frustration but we always knew that this was a hard journey,” she said.

“We are working with the very best panda experts in the world; I would personally like to thank everyone involved for their professionalism and passion over many months of preparation.”

Fu Ni may or may not be visible to the public over the coming days as she is choosing to spend time off exhibit in her den.

But in some good news for the zoo, two Sumatran tigers will soon be joining the menagerie, with one due to arrive as early as next month.

“People know that we lost two of our older tigers so we only have the one female tiger but we have now finalised plans so in the next few months we’ll have two new younger tigers joining us.” Ms Bensted said.

“(They will be) a younger female and then a young male...and hopefully they will become a future breeding pair of tigers and given how critically endangered Sumatran Tigers are that would be a fantastic outcome for us.”

Ms Bensted said the female, named Rhanni, was coming from the National Zoo in Canberra, possibly in March, while the male, called Kembali, would be coming from Hamilton in New Zealand in April or May.