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Cape Town - Faking ones pregnancy could easily be described on a soap opera or some cheesy movie. But one mischievous giant panda at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Centre faked her own pregnancy to get special treatment.
According to a Times report Ai Hin was going to be one of the first pandas to be a part of a live broadcast where she would give birth on air.
Unfortunately the event was cancelled as researchers discovered that she had been faking her pregnancy for months.
Chinese officials say that Ai Hin experienced a phantom pregnancy.
This is common for endangered bears according to experts. The bears become aware of the special treatment other pregnant bears receive from keepers and therefore begin to show signs of pregnancy.
Wu Kongju, an expert at Chengdu, said that pregnant panda moms are moved to air conditioned private rooms at their centre.
The pandas also receive more bamboo, fruit and backed goods.
It seems that Ali hin saw the treatment she could receive and took advantage of the opportunity.
In July a Chinese zoo reported the birth of a set of panda triplets billed as the world's first known surviving trio, in what it hailed as a "miracle" given the animal's famously low reproductive rate.
The mother panda, named Juxiao, meaning "chrysanthemum smile", delivered the triplets at Guangzhou's Chimelong Safari Park in the early hours of 29 July, but was too exhausted to take care of them afterwards.
Her cubs were then put into incubators while Juxiao regained her strength, and have now been brought back to their mother for nursing and are being attended to by a round-the-clock team of feeders, the zoo said.
"They were said to be the only panda triplets that have ever survived", the safari park said in a statement.
