France, March 21 -- Beauval Zoo's giant pandas Huan Huan and Yuan Zi were recovering on Sunday after an eight-session day of mating which ended with Huan Huan artificially inseminated.

Huan Huan, who is on loan from China to the zoo in central France, was brought into contact on Saturday with her male counterpart.

The two pandas were described as co-operative and rather active during their encounters in the same night box.

"Yuan Zi was more comfortable in approaches and mating than in previous years," said a zoo spokesperson.

The female panda is only fertile for between 24 and 48 hours a year. For several weeks before the sessions, Huan Huan had displayed signs of fertility such as the odour she was emitting and growling.

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