Wild male giant panda ‘dates' female panda in tree in SW China's Sichuan Province

Two adult giant pandas were found "dating" in a tree in Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve at China's Giant Panda National Park in southwest China's Sichuan Province on March 3.

The courtship scene was spotted by Ma Wenhu, a staff member of Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, and a crew of Guangyuan TV station in Guangyuan city, Sichuan.

Two adult giant pandas are seen in a tree in Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve of China's Giant Panda National Park in southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Photo/Meng Yu)

While passing an area in Motianling mountain, which lies at the junction of Sichuan Province, northwest China's Shaanxi Province and Gansu Province, the team saw a white figure in a tree not far away. And Ma, who has patrolled extensively at the nature reserve, immediately concluded that what he saw was a giant panda.

The TV crew took the rare chance and quickly started to capture the giant panda on film. As the camera zoomed in on the white figure, members of the team found that it was indeed a giant panda, who was lounging on a branch in the sun.

A male giant panda climbs up a tree. (Photo/Meng Yu)

After a while, another giant panda appeared on the scene. It climbed up the tree to the giant panda. And as it neared the giant panda in the tree, it frequently rubbed its buttocks against the trunk of the tree.

The giant panda was smearing odor using its perianal glands, according to an expert, who explained that the giant panda that was first spotted enjoying the sunshine in the tree was a female and that the one which climbed up the tree later was a male.

A female giant panda enjoys the sunshine in a tree in Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve of China's Giant Panda National Park in southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Photo/Meng Yu)

Such scenes are closely related to the arrival of the estrus season for giant pandas, the expert said.

Located in Qingchuan county, Guangyuan city, Sichuan Province, Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve is an important distribution area of giant pandas. Wild giant pandas have been captured on camera in areas around the Motianling mountain in the nature reserve for eight consecutive years.  

Two adult giant pandas are seen in a tree in Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve of China's Giant Panda National Park in southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Photo/Hu Mingzhong)