The UK's only female giant panda has been artificially inseminated in the hope of making her pregnant.

Natural mating was not attempted between Tian Tian (Sweetie) and male Yang Guang (Sunshine). Scientists who have been monitoring them at Edinburgh Zoo decided that Tian Tian was showing signs that were not "conducive to mating".

A team of experts have been at the zoo for the last week to monitor the pandas as Tian Tian approached her crucial 36-hour breeding window.

A spokeswoman for the zoo said the procedure went well and the pandas will be off display until Tuesday.

"Natural mating was not attempted. Yang Guang had been interested and shown consistently encouraging behaviour.

"But based on his many years' experience, our Chinese colleague Professor Wang felt that although Tian Tian had displayed all of the correct behaviours, she had also displayed signs that told him she would not be conducive to mating.

The normal breeding season for pandas is between mid-April to May.

The male and female are kept in separate enclosures throughout the year and only come together for mating.

Throughout the last week keepers at the zoo swapped the pandas between enclosures in an effort to prepare them for mating.

If the artificial insemination proves successful, Tian Tian's cub, or cubs, would be born at the end of August or the beginning of September.