GIANT panda Yang Guang may take weeks to recover from a bout of colic, with the bear on medication in the run-up to the crucial mating season.

Experts said last night that the illness was not uncommon in captive pandas and was not considered serious, but they moved to quell fears it could affect the bear after February, when there is a small window for Yang Guang and Tian Tian to mate.

He is facing some discomfort and is likely to be lethargic until fully recovered.

The two-year-old, who arrived at Edinburgh Zoo last month, was not on view yesterday and appearances will depend on how he recovers.

Henry Nichols, author of Way of the Panda, said: "Colic is not so uncommon in captive pandas, and certainly in captivity the most common illness are gastro-intestinal.

"This is almost certainly because of the difficulty in replicating the diet they would have in the wild.

"It is not that serious, but the panda will probably be lethargic."

The mating season runs for about two or three months from February but within that time Tian Tian will only be in a condition to mate for a few days.

Keepers will monitor the pandas during the mating season and when Tian Tian shows signs of being ready the pair will be put together and encouraged to mate, by using a bamboo stick to urge them together.

Iain Valentine, director of research and conservation at the zoo, said: "It's not very serious but can cause some discomfort. He's on medication and we're mainly keeping him relaxed and indoors.

"Tian Tian is right as rain and remains on show daily."