Relatively little is known about giant panda breeding in the wild, as field studies are lacking. Then, in 1981, the two began to be housed together during the day. The new giant panda pair, Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, are not yet sexually mature but will be living together more frequently. The prediction is that better management will result in them developing a social relationship, allowing successful mating at an earlier age. Giant pandas begin breeding when they are between 4 and 8 years old.
Females ovulate every spring and are able to conceive on only two to three days each year.
They need to mate only once during estrus to get pregnant. In the wild, females normally give birth to one or two cubs every other year. Most raise five to eight cubs during their lifetimes. Pandas in general seem to have strong maternal behavior. A panda mother cradles her vulnerable newborn 24 hours a day, forgoing food and water for up to a week or more after birth as she forges the mother-cub bond.