Porn, not viagra, is good for pandas

PANDA PREACHING: Not just the visuals but also the sounds of panda loving does the job.

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Wolong (China): They're cute, playful, cuddly but apparently not so passionate. So, researchers in China have found a way to get male pandas to put down their bamboo, get out of their trees and get in the mood.

"We video tape pandas who mate successfully and play that for pandas who don't know how to do it," said Zhang Hemin from Wolong Panda Reserve.

Yes, that’s panda porn. The theory is simple: show pandas how it's done so they can make the most of the three days every year when females are ready to mate.

And it is not just the visuals but also the sounds of panda loving that does the job.

Scientists at China's Wolong Research Center have found what's good on tape, is even better live: taking pandas who may be a little shy, to watch others who are not.

Handlers also regularly swap panda partner so each panda finds that some one special.

All these measures have led to a baby panda boom and 20 cubs were born here last year, which is more than ever before.

The park's Director, Jung Hemin, boasts his breeding program now has almost a 100 per cent success rate.

But not everything has worked. They tried viagra once but it proved just too much for your average bear. "They stayed excited for way too long,” said Zhang Hemin.

Even so, after teetering on the edge of extinction, the future for the giant panda is looking hopeful, and frisky.