In the 1930s, a fascinating story unfolded at the Chicago Zoo involving a female panda named Mei Mei. The zookeepers were on a mission to find her a mate, and they eventually found a potential partner named Mei Lan. The public was excitedly anticipating the arrival of baby pandas, but the wait seemed endless. This led to the question - why weren't the pandas breeding? Lucy Cooke addresses this question by debunking common misconceptions about pandas.

One of the most common misperceptions about pandas is their breeding habits, especially in captivity. It's often thought that pandas have a low sex drive, but this isn't entirely true. In the wild, female pandas have a small window of fertility, only 24 to 72 hours a year. During this time, males compete fiercely for the right to mate with her. This competition stimulates the female's ovulation and the strongest, fittest male gets to pass on his genes.

In captivity, however, this natural process is disrupted. Pandas are often paired up based on genetic diversity rather than natural selection. The lack of competition doesn't stimulate ovulation in the female, and the male often doesn't show interest. This, combined with the stress of captivity, makes breeding pandas in zoos a challenging task.

Lucy Cooke's lesson, directed by Keegan Thornhill, provides an insightful look into the secret lives of pandas. For more information, you can view the full lesson and dig deeper with additional resources.