A giant panda showing all the signs of pregnancy may have faked symptoms to trick her handlers into putting her in more cushy quarters. 

Panda females can live up to 35 years, but they rarely produce more than 8 cubs. Any pregnancy is cause for celebration, and expectant mothers are quickly whisked into air-conditioned rooms with round-the-clock care and other perks. Ai Hin, a bear living at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Center in China, seems to have figured out the pattern.

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Said Wu Kongju, an expert at Chengdu, "They also receive more buns, fruits and bamboo, so some clever pandas have used this to their advantage to improve their quality of life."

Sluggishness and a lack of appetite, plus a surge in hormone levels, are indicators of a panda pregnancy. Animal behaviorists in China observed some bears continue to display pregnant behaviour after noticing the change of treatment, and say that it is common for endangered animals to have actual phantom pregnancies. 

Six-year-old Ai Hin began to show signs she conceived a month ago, and was duly placed in more comfortable and posh surroundings. China was enthralled at the prospect of the pitter-patter of little panda paws, and the birth was due to be broadcast live on television. Experts recently concluded, however, that there was no pregnancy.

Chengdu officials and wildlife experts across the globe could not help but be disappointed. Pandas are one of the rarest animals in the world, with only 1600 remaining in the wild and 300 in captivity. Habitat loss and the species' low birthrate have contributed to the bear's population crash. Pandas have become iconic symbols of impending extinctions; the World Wildlife Fund has a panda for its logo.

Earlier this month, a set of panda triplets was born at the Chimelong wildlife park in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province.

TagsPanda, pregnant, phantom pregnancy