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9 things you never wanted to know about giant panda sex (but we asked anyway)

WASHINGTON 鈥斅燦ational Zoo giant panda Mei Xiang was after zookeepers determined she appeared to be in heat.

From peeing on trees to walking backward 鈥� here are some things to know about the breeding process and panda reproduction, courtesy of .

No time for dating: Mei Xiang is only capable of conceiving a cub for 24-72 hours, once a year. (Courtesy Smithsonian National Zoo)

tian tian — How you like me now: To show he’s interested, Tian Tian does “urine hopping” — which looks like hopping on one foot while urinating. (Courtesy Smithsonian National Zoo)

tian tian — 础肠谤辞产补迟颈肠:听To woo, Tian Tian tries to make urine marks as high as possible on trees and structures, by doing a handstand. (Courtesy Smithsonian National Zoo)

mei xian — Back it up:聽If Mei Xiang is in the mood, she’ll raise her tail and walk backward toward Tian Tian. (Courtesy Smithsonian National Zoo)

Hard to get: In the wild, a female avoids males until she is ready to breed. (Courtesy Smithsonian National Zoo)

Really, it happens to everybody: Although given the opportunity almost every year, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian have never consummated their relationship. Never. (Courtesy Smithsonian National Zoo)

I’ve gotta get going: The couple is separated immediately after a breeding attempt, because the male gets aggressive when the female’s hormones drop. (Courtesy Smithsonian National Zoo)

Let’s just cuddle: As Mei Xiang’s hormone levels drop, she may want to interact with Tian Tian. By then, he’s lost interest. (Courtesy Smithsonian National Zoo)

Awwww: Panda gestation length is about 135 days. If a baby is born, its size is inevitably compared to a butter stick. This is Bei Bei. (Courtesy Smithsonian National Zoo)

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Neal Augenstein

Neal Augenstein has been a general assignment reporter with WTOP since 1997. He says he looks forward to coming to work every day, even though that means waking up at 3:30 a.m.

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