Conservationists have been given a rare and fascinating insight into the courting rituals of wild giant pandas .

In a video released by WWF-UK two male pandas are captured attempting to woo a female at the start of the mating season.

The black and white lotharios are heard barking, growling and grunting, while the female can be heard making chirping and bleating sounds.

The audio clip was taken during a recent field trip to China’s Shaanxi Province, where the males are heard fighting as they crash through bamboo and charge towards the base of the tree where the female is resting.

Giant Panda
WWF UK has released rare and fascinating footage that shows the mating habits of wild giant pandas

Shortly after the pair finish biting, chasing and wrestling each other, the female panda slides down the tree and mates with the dominant male.

It lasts less than a minute before the female moves off.

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Pandas are notoriously known as solitary animals but from March to May there is strong competition between males when female pandas are ovulating – which only occurs once a year for just two to three days.

WWF-UK's regional officer in China, Nicola Loweth, witnessed the pandas first hand during the recent field trip.

Giant Panda
Rare footage has captured two male giant pandas barking, growling and grunting in a bid to attract a mate

She said: “Sightings of pandas are incredibly rare so we were very lucky to observe this type of behaviour in the wild.”

The WWF group, accompanied by experienced rangers from Changqing National Nature Reserve, walked for over two and a half hours, gradually making their way through the forest, heading to the mountain ridge and ascending to approximately 1,800 metres above sea level.

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After hours of waiting patiently, they spotted a female panda resting in the tree.

Nicola said: “As we stood admiring our first sighting of a panda, I noticed a rustling in the bamboo.

"Less than 15 feet away, a male panda suddenly appeared and casually strolled towards me. I couldn’t believe it. It was an amazing sight and one that I will never forget."