Cocktails and Dreams

Berlin Zoo Banks on Sperm Cocktail for Panda Cubs

Here’s the gist of it:

Berlin Zoo’s giant panda Yan Yan moved a step closer to becoming a mother on Thursday when a delegation of Chinese experts flew in to discuss inseminating her with a cocktail of sperm from several Chinese pandas.

Six attempts to impregnate the 19-year-old with sperm from her Berlin Zoo companion Bao Bao, 26, all failed and now scientists at the zoo say they want to try a mixture of semen from several Chinese pandas.

It’s very interesting how difficult it is to get Pandas to mate in the first place.

Call me kooky, but I have a theory…

If you believe in evolution (and I kind of do but I believe in creationism more, but that’s for another day) and survival of the fittest, you would almost have to wonder why they’re trying to re-populate the species.

If pandas are solitary animals who don’t mate at the right time, or in some cases at all, then isn’t it their evolutionary destiny to vanish from the earth? I just find it odd that scientists are trying so desperately to re-populate a species who, by its own practices may not be designed to survive forever.

Any thoughts?

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  • http://site-essential.com/ Kathy K

    We’re trying to keep them around because they are cute.

  • http://radioactivemonk6.journalspace.com/ Bill, The Radioactive Monk

    yup the Cuteness Factor. Look how well it’s worked for Britney Spears

  • http://vincentmferrari@insignificantthoughts.com Vinny

    I guess thats as good a reason as any. Gless I’m overthinking it.

  • http://www.leftandright.us Rob @ L&R

    Sure they’re cute…

    but they’re slow, dim-witted and overly fussy about mating.

    There are about 17 in the entire world and they all hate each other.

    The pandas themselves are ambivalent about their own survival as a species, why should we give a fuck?

  • http://www.voodootime.com justis

    My wife and I have discussed this several times. The panda, unfortunately, is a breed of animal not long for this world. This is not because of human intervention (for once), but because the damned things eat nothing but bamboo (which has next to no nutritional value, which is why they have to eat pretty much 24 hours a day), and they almost never mate! But we keep the things around, mixing sperm cocktails and making them watch panda porn, because they’re really cute. Pretty silly, but I guess I’m OK with it.

  • Kevin

    Not everything in the world has to be done for the greater good or some noble cause. Every once in awhile you do somthing just because.
    The cute factor.
    The “It makes me feel good” factor.
    The “I want my Grand Kids to see that” factor.

  • balbulican

    To hell with Pandas. I have established a Foundation for the preservation of one of the most seriously endangered species on the planet.

    This tiny, defenseless organism, which once happily inhabited every continent, has been brutally, sytematically and deliberately hunted down by callous humans for centuries. It now survives in tiny, isolated pockets, and could, literally any day now, be lost forever to our precious and fragile biosystem.

    You can contribute to the “Balbulican Fund For the Preservation of the Smallpox Virus” at my hotmail address. Not yet a registered charity, but hoping.

  • http://www.thesteelcage.net Davey

    Hey, man, Pandas RULE! They just get a bad rap because they are on the logo of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) who forced the REAL WWF to change it’s name to WWE. Jerks! I’m STILL mad about that.

  • http://site-essential.com/ Kathy K

    We’re trying to keep them around because they are cute.

  • http://radioactivemonk6.journalspace.com/ Bill, The Radioactive Monk

    yup the Cuteness Factor. Look how well it’s worked for Britney Spears

  • Vinny

    I guess thats as good a reason as any. Gless I’m overthinking it.

  • http://www.leftandright.us/ Rob @ L&R;

    Sure they’re cute…

    but they’re slow, dim-witted and overly fussy about mating.

    There are about 17 in the entire world and they all hate each other.

    The pandas themselves are ambivalent about their own survival as a species, why should we give a fuck?

  • http://www.voodootime.com/ justis

    My wife and I have discussed this several times. The panda, unfortunately, is a breed of animal not long for this world. This is not because of human intervention (for once), but because the damned things eat nothing but bamboo (which has next to no nutritional value, which is why they have to eat pretty much 24 hours a day), and they almost never mate! But we keep the things around, mixing sperm cocktails and making them watch panda porn, because they’re really cute. Pretty silly, but I guess I’m OK with it.

  • Kevin

    Not everything in the world has to be done for the greater good or some noble cause. Every once in awhile you do somthing just because.
    The cute factor.
    The “It makes me feel good” factor.
    The “I want my Grand Kids to see that” factor.

  • balbulican

    To hell with Pandas. I have established a Foundation for the preservation of one of the most seriously endangered species on the planet.

    This tiny, defenseless organism, which once happily inhabited every continent, has been brutally, sytematically and deliberately hunted down by callous humans for centuries. It now survives in tiny, isolated pockets, and could, literally any day now, be lost forever to our precious and fragile biosystem.

    You can contribute to the “Balbulican Fund For the Preservation of the Smallpox Virus” at my hotmail address. Not yet a registered charity, but hoping.

  • http://www.thesteelcage.net/ Davey

    Hey, man, Pandas RULE! They just get a bad rap because they are on the logo of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) who forced the REAL WWF to change it’s name to WWE. Jerks! I’m STILL mad about that.

  • http://www.vjuu.com/ Any Thing

    We’re trying to keep them around because they are cute.

    Yes

  • http://www.vjuu.com Any Thing

    We’re trying to keep them around because they are cute.

    Yes

  • http://www.notoriouslysingle.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170 Match

    We'll it's also OUR fault the Panda's are dying. Deforestation, pollution, etc. so it's also our responsibility to keep them alive.

  • http://www.notoriouslysingle.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170 Match

    We'll it's also OUR fault the Panda's are dying. Deforestation, pollution, etc. so it's also our responsibility to keep them alive.

  • http://www.globalrecruit.jp tats march

    You have written an interesting blog i also love pandas as they are cutie and very beautiful but the main problem of these animals are they are getting less day by day .Your theory about pandas is correct i agree with you u have done a terrific job well done.