Tian Tian the giant panda has undergone after artificial insemination and is also expected to try mating naturally with Yang Guang today, Edinburgh Zoo has said.

The UK's only female giant panda went through the procedure and is to be encouraged to mate naturally as the opportunity to conceive is limited.

Iain Valentine, Director of Giant Pandas for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: "Artificial insemination took place on Tian Tian the female giant panda in the early hours of March 26.

"The procedure was carried out by the expert team of three veterinarians at RZSS, alongside Chinese colleague Doctor Wang Chengdong from the China Conservation and Research Centre for Giant Pandas (CCRCGP). Only semen from male panda Yang Guang was used during the procedure.

"Natural mating will also be attempted today before the short breeding window comes to a close this afternoon - Thursday - as both pandas remain extremely interested in one another, but as Tian Tian's transition to peak was so rapid it was a priority to move straight to AI first.

"Throughout Wednesday Tian Tian remained very quiet and sleepy, but by 5pm there was a behavioural shift and the results of hormone tests that came back at 7pm, carried out by the University of Edinburgh, confirmed ovulation had occurred.

"As each individual panda is different and their pattern can vary from year to year, this is why we start hormone monitoring via urine samples so early and continually observe our female via CCTV as the window approaches.

"Tian Tian is doing very well and everything went according to plan."

The panda enclosure will likely remain closed at Edinburgh Zoo until Sunday March 29.

After pregnancy hopes in previous years there was disappointment again last year when it was announced Tian Tian was no longer pregnant despite all the pointers indicating a full term pregnancy.

Tian Tian was artificially inseminated in April last year after she and her intended partner Yang Guang failed to mate naturally.