Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui have a Chinese wedding. A male panda in a park of Thailand has been put on a diet because he is too heavy to mate with his partner, his caretakers said. Chuang Chuang weighs 150 kilos (330 pounds), while his partner Lin Hui is a lithe 115 kilos (253 pounds), said Kannika Nimtragol, a veterinarian at the Chiang Mai zoo in northern Thailand. "We think Chuang Chuang should not weigh over 140 kilogrammes. Otherwise Lin Hui will carry too much weight while mating," she told reporters. To help Chuang Chuang slim down, zookeepers are feeding him fewer bread loaves and more bamboo branches to cut back on the amount of carbohydrate he consumes, she added. The diet program is under the careful supervision of Chinese panda experts. Six-year-old Chuang Chuang and his five-year-old partner Lin Hui arrived at the zoo in 2003 on a 10-year loan from China. Giant pandas, notorious for their low sex drive, are among the world's most endangered animals. Cutting out carbs is only the latest tactic used by the zoo in the hope of giving Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui a more loving feeling. The two have been separated since December, in the hope absence will make their hearts grow fonder, Kannika said. A plan to show them "panda porn" videos to coach them in mating techniques has been put on hold after research indicated that not all pandas learn from such videos. Chiang Mai held an elaborate, traditional Chinese wedding for the couple in 2005 in the hope of encouraging them to procreate, and is considering bringing in a snow machine to help recreate a mountainous habitat. But with the annual panda mating season due to begin within weeks, the zoo is preparing to try artificial insemination if the natural method does not work, Kannika said. 點擊查看更多雙語新聞 (Reuters)

據泰國某動物園的管理員介紹，動物園的一只雄性大熊貓因體重過大無法正常交配，目前正在接受減肥計劃。 泰國北部清邁動物園的獸醫坎尼卡·尼姆特拉格爾說：“雄性大熊貓創創目前的體重已達到150公斤，而它的‘小媳婦’林惠只有115公斤。” 坎尼卡在接受記者采訪時說：“創創的體重應控制在140公斤以內。否則，交配時林惠的負擔會很重。” 她說，為了給創創“瘦身”，動物園的管理員們目前正在減少對它的面包喂養量、同時增加竹子的供應量，以控制創創所攝入的碳水化合物量。 這個“瘦身計劃”是在中國大熊貓飼養專家的精心指導下進行的。今年6歲的創創和5歲的林惠于2003年從中國來到清邁的這個動物園，它們將在這里生活10年。 眾所周知，大熊貓性欲不強，是世界上幾大瀕危物種之一。 清邁動物園實施的此項最新策略主要是為了使創創和林惠在交配時更有感覺。 坎尼卡說，為了達到“小別勝新婚”的目的，動物園從去年12月起對它們實行了“分居方案”。 為了教它們如何交配，動物園還曾打算給它們播放“色情錄像”，但因有調查表明并非所有大熊貓都對此敏感，這一計劃已經擱置。 為了促其繁殖，清邁動物園于2005年為它們專門舉辦了一個隆重的傳統中式婚禮；為了給它們所居住的假山增添一些樂趣，動物園目前又在考慮引進一個雪花機。 坎尼卡說，大熊貓的交配季幾周后即將來臨，如果自然交配不成功，動物園準備對它們實行人工授精。 （英語點津姍姍編輯）