Animal lovers can barely contain their excitement as they eagerly await the birth of panda cubs at Edinburgh Zoo.
People have taken to Twitter as they wait in suspense for Tian Tian the giant panda to give birth, with many hoping today would be the big day.
As soon as live streams were broadcast and news reporters visited the zoo, people started sharing memes and #Pandawatch trended online.
Many movie fans could not help but compare the scenes to those from hit comedy film Anchorman, where character Brian Fontana covers a similar event at San Diego Zoo.
One fan wrote: ‘#PandaWatch just makes me think of Anchorman. ”You’re making me look stupid. Panda Jerk” Brian Fontana.’
Another animal lover posted: ‘Plans for the day #Pandawatch.’
One fan said: ‘#PandaWatch this is so exciting!’
Another poster said: ‘Go on girl you can do it! #Pandawatch.’
One Tweeter joked: ‘Well done Scotland! You were given a giant panda to look after and you let get pregnant Nice babysitting #Pandawatch .’
Another excited fan posted a meme of a giraffe eating popcorn, with the caption: ‘#PandaWatch is she pregnant? Will she give birth today? TT Edinburgh Zoo is keeping us in suspense.’
One fan, tweeted a photo of a panda playing with a tyre and wrote: ‘Not only is it Friday, it’s also #BankHolidayWeekend and #PandaWatch is trending. We’re going to have a good day in the office today.’
But sadly, panda fans may be in for a wait until they see little furry bundles of joy at Edinburgh Zoo.
Tian Tian’s keepers said her breeding cycle is expected to continue into next month.
A spokesman for Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo said: ‘We can confirm our female giant panda, Tian Tian, will not be giving birth today.
‘Breeding pandas is exceptionally complex and we anticipate that her breeding cycle will continue into September. We’re closely monitoring Tian Tian and we will share any news as soon as possible.’
However, not every is thrilled about the new arrivals at Edinburgh.
Animal welfare campaign group OneKind accused the zoo of putting money ahead of the interest of the pandas.
The charity said: ‘This poor panda cub will never be introduced to the wild and will only ever know a life in captivity.
‘To make matters worse, to produce a cub Tian Tian has been subjected to repeated invasive procedures since coming to Edinburgh.
Tian Tian (pictured) was brought to Scotland from China in 2011 and is one of only two giant pandas in the UK
‘This has not been in the interest of pandas or conservation, and appears instead to be driven by the pursuit of PR and gate fees.’
The zoo spokesman said RZSS has supported more than 30 conservation projects to help safeguard the wild population of giant pandas in western China and helped contribute to the reclassification of the giant panda from endangered to vulnerable in the wild.
The latest panda pregnancy hopes follow repeated attempts over several years to see if the female could produce a cub.
Panda reproduction is a notoriously tricky process, with females only ovulating once a year.
Artificial insemination was attempted for a fifth time after the zoo’s male panda Yang Guang was unreceptive to natural mating.
Tian Tian (pictured) was sent to Edinburgh as part of a breeding pair with male giant panda Yang Guang and the pair will remain in Scotland until 2021
Tian Tian (Sweetie) and Yang Guang (Sunshine) are the only giant pandas living in the UK.
The black and white bears arrived on loan from China in December 2011 and are due to remain at Edinburgh Zoo for a decade.
It was in 2008 that the zoo first announced it was in negotiations to bring a pair of giant pandas to Scotland.
The two were brought to the UK under a historic agreement between the UK and Chinese governments.
The pair, described as a gift from China, were the first giant pandas to reside in the UK for 17 years.
Their arrival marked the culmination of a five-year effort to bring them to Scotland, officials said.