The Sex Lives of Giant Pandas

Whether it's live on the Smithsonian’s National Zoo's panda cam or in front of a crowd, possibly no other animal's sex life is as closely watched as the giant pandas' is. And there's a reason. These cuddly-looking black and white bears just can't figure out how to mate. But, with a little help from science, the once-endangered giant panda is making a comeback. In honor of the 50th anniversary of giant pandas at Smithsonian's National Zoo, we peep into the (not so secret) sex lives of pandas.

Transcript

Guests

• Pierre Comizzoli, panda sex expert and staff scientist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
• Lisa Stevens, AKA “Panda Lady”; former senior curator of mammals at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo
• Stephen Powers, panda fan

For more on giant pandas, this episode is featured on the 1A podcast from WAMU and includes additional interviews with Lisa Stevens and Pierre Comizzoli.