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Dolce & Gabbana Boycott Edinburgh Zoo Over Tian Tian Artificial Insemination

Dolce & Gabbana Boycott Edinburgh Zoo Over 'Synthetic' Panda Insemination
Ryan Barrell
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Tian Tian the giant panda with a special Christmas cake in the shape of a Christmas tree at Edinburgh Zoo.
Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Fashion moguls Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have announced they will no longer be providing zookeeper's uniforms for staff at Edinburgh Zoo in protest of what they call the "synthetic" attempts to inseminate giant panda Tian Tian.

Dolce & Gabbana have already voiced their opinions over so-called "synthetic" families who use in vitro fertlisation, also saying they opposed gay adoption. "The only family is the traditional one," Domenico is quoted as saying.

The two have now taken things even further, pulling their exclusive brand of D&G zookeeper wear from Edinburgh Zoo after hearing giant panda Tian Tian would be artificially inseminated.

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A definitely not photoshopped photo from feeding time at Edinburgh Zoo before Dolce & Gabbana announced their boycott

"This is absolutely disgusting," Dolce said. "Stefano and I cannot stand the thought of someone wearing our high fashion impregnating a panda in any way other than the traditional one."

"When you use plastic instead of flesh you are destroying the very fabric of the pandas concept of family," Gabbana added. "You are stealing the connection between mother and child, a connection which will never exist again. You ruin the panda cub's life before he is even conceived."

Defending the zoo's decision, Iain Valentine of the Royal Zoological Society said: "Only semen from male panda Yang Guang was used during the procedure.

"Natural mating will also be attempted today before the short breeding window comes to a close this afternoon (Thursday) as both pandas remain extremely interested in one another, but as Tian Tian's transition to peak was so rapid it was a priority to move straight to artificial insemination first."

The procedure was carried out by a skilled team of experts on Thursday morning.

D&G have recalled 400 pairs of dung-proof Swarovski-encrusted Wellington boots, 2,000 sequined feeding buckets and several hundred silk wing warmers among other products.

The bespoke clothing and accessories were created especially for Edinburgh Zoo by the Italian fashionistas after a visit in 1994, when they are quoted as saying they "ruddy loved" the anteater exhibit. The anti-insemination fiasco marks the end of a 21 year sponsorship.

Tian Tian is the only female of her species in the UK, has failed to mate with her male counterpart in their four years living in Scotland, so zookeepers plan to take advantage of the short mating season window by attempting to get her pregnant as much as possible.

SEE ALSO:

Pandas at Edinburgh Zoo
Tian Tian(01 of27)
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Yang Guang(02 of27)
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Yang Guang(03 of27)
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Tian Tian(04 of27)
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(05 of27)
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Tian Tian the Panda in her enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo on her ninth birthday Friday Aug. 24, 2012. Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo made a three-tiered panda cake with carrots instead of candles for Tian Tian, but the birthday girl did not seem too impressed with her gift and refused to eat it this morning. (AP PhotoAndrew Milligan/PA Wire) UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE (credit:AP)
(06 of27)
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Tian Tian the Panda in her enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo on her ninth birthday Friday Aug. 24, 2012. Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo made a three-tiered panda cake with carrots instead of candles for Tian Tian, but the birthday girl did not seem too impressed with her gift and refused to eat it this morning. (AP PhotoAndrew Milligan/PA Wire) UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE (credit:AP)
Yang Guang (Sunshine), a giant male pand(07 of27)
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Yang Guang (Sunshine), a giant male panda, looks on during his ninth birthday, his first on Scottish soil, at Edinburgh Zoo, on August 14, 2012 in Edinburgh. Yang Guang is one of the two giant pandas which arrived at the zoo on December 4, 2011 and which will spend 10 years on loan in the Scottish capital, a deal agreed after years of high-level political and diplomatic negotiations with China. AFP PHOTO / ANDY BUCHANAN (Photo credit should read Andy Buchanan/AFP/GettyImages) (credit:Getty Images)
Yang Guang (Sunshine), a giant male pand(08 of27)
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Yang Guang (Sunshine), a giant male panda, looks on during his ninth birthday, his first on Scottish soil, at Edinburgh Zoo, on August 14, 2012 in Edinburgh. Yang Guang is one of the two giant pandas which arrived at the zoo on December 4, 2011 and which will spend 10 years on loan in the Scottish capital, a deal agreed after years of high-level political and diplomatic negotiations with China. AFP PHOTO / ANDY BUCHANAN (Photo credit should read Andy Buchanan/AFP/GettyImages) (credit:Getty Images)
Yang Guang (Sunshine), a giant male pand(09 of27)
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Yang Guang (Sunshine), a giant male panda, chews on bamboo on his ninth birthday, his first on Scottish soil, at Edinburgh Zoo, on August 14, 2012 in Edinburgh. Yang Guang is one of the two giant pandas which arrived at the zoo on December 4, 2011 and which will spend 10 years on loan in the Scottish capital, a deal agreed after years of high-level political and diplomatic negotiations with China. AFP PHOTO / ANDY BUCHANAN (Photo credit should read Andy Buchanan/AFP/GettyImages) (credit:Getty Images)
Yang Guang (Sunshine), a giant male pand(10 of27)
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Yang Guang (Sunshine), a giant male panda, chews on bamboo on his ninth birthday, his first on Scottish soil, at Edinburgh Zoo, on August 14, 2012 in Edinburgh. Yang Guang is one of the two giant pandas which arrived at the zoo on December 4, 2011 and which will spend 10 years on loan in the Scottish capital, a deal agreed after years of high-level political and diplomatic negotiations with China. AFP PHOTO / ANDY BUCHANAN (Photo credit should read Andy Buchanan/AFP/GettyImages) (credit:Getty Images)
Yang Guang (Sunshine), a giant male pand(11 of27)
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Yang Guang (Sunshine), a giant male panda, chews on bamboo on his ninth birthday, his first on Scottish soil, at Edinburgh Zoo, on August 14, 2012 in Edinburgh. Yang Guang is one of the two giant pandas which arrived at the zoo on December 4, 2011 and which will spend 10 years on loan in the Scottish capital, a deal agreed after years of high-level political and diplomatic negotiations with China. AFP PHOTO / ANDY BUCHANAN (Photo credit should read Andy Buchanan/AFP/GettyImages) (credit:Getty Images)
Yang Guang (Sunshine), a giant male pand(12 of27)
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Yang Guang (Sunshine), a giant male panda, chews on bamboo on his ninth birthday, his first on Scottish soil, at Edinburgh Zoo, on August 14, 2012 in Edinburgh. Yang Guang is one of the two giant pandas which arrived at the zoo on December 4, 2011 and which will spend 10 years on loan in the Scottish capital, a deal agreed after years of high-level political and diplomatic negotiations with China. AFP PHOTO / ANDY BUCHANAN (Photo credit should read Andy Buchanan/AFP/GettyImages) (credit:Getty Images)
Pandas in Edinburgh Zoo(13 of27)
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Female panda Tian Tian at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, a keepers at Edinburgh Zoo opened a 'love tunnel' between male Yang Guang and female Tian Tian's enclosures yesterday as they hoped to speed up the mating process. (credit:PA)
Pandas in Edinburgh Zoo(14 of27)
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Male panda Yang Guang at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, a keepers at Edinburgh Zoo opened a 'love tunnel' between male Yang Guang and female Tian Tian's enclosures yesterday as they hoped to speed up the mating process. (credit:PA)
Pandas in Edinburgh Zoo(15 of27)
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Male panda Yang Guang at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, a keepers at Edinburgh Zoo opened a 'love tunnel' between male Yang Guang and female Tian Tian's enclosures yesterday as they hoped to speed up the mating process. (credit:PA)
Pandas in Edinburgh Zoo(16 of27)
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Male panda Yang Guang at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, a keepers at Edinburgh Zoo opened a 'love tunnel' between male Yang Guang and female Tian Tian's enclosures yesterday as they hoped to speed up the mating process. (credit:PA)
Edinburgh Zoo pandas(17 of27)
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Tian Tian eats her panda cake in her enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo . The UK's only pair of giant pandas were treated to an extra helping of panda cake this morning to celebrate their first Christmas in Scotland. (credit:PA)
Edinburgh Zoo pandas(18 of27)
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Tian Tian eats her panda cake in her enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo . The UK's only pair of giant pandas were treated to an extra helping of panda cake this morning to celebrate their first Christmas in Scotland. (credit:PA)
Edinburgh Zoo pandas(19 of27)
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Tian Tian stretches after eating her panda cake in her enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo. The UK's only pair of giant pandas were treated to an extra helping of panda cake this morning to celebrate their first Christmas in Scotland. (credit:PA)
Edinburgh Zoo pandas(20 of27)
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Tian Tian stretches after eating her panda cake in her enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo. The UK's only pair of giant pandas were treated to an extra helping of panda cake this morning to celebrate their first Christmas in Scotland. (credit:PA)
Edinburgh Zoo pandas(21 of27)
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Yang Guang the panda at Edinburgh Zoo where it met its keeper Sharon Hatton. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday December 23, 2011. Photo credit should read: David Cheskin/PA Wire (credit:PA)
Edinburgh Zoo pandas(22 of27)
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Yang Guang the panda at Edinburgh Zoo where it met its keeper Sharon Hatton. (credit:PA)
Edinburgh Zoo pandas (23 of27)
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People watch Tian Tian the panda in its enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo as members of the public are let in for the first time to see the animals. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday December 16, 2011. The first giant pandas to live in the UK for 17 years have gone on show to the public. Tian Tian and Yang Guang have been getting used to their new home at Edinburgh Zoo since arriving from China on Sunday December 4. They spent their first few days indoors acclimatising before emerging to explore their outside enclosure. See PA story ANIMALS Pandas. Photo credit should read: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire (credit:PA)
Edinburgh Zoo pandas(24 of27)
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Tian Tian the panda in its enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo as members of the public are let in for the first time to see the animals. (credit:PA)
Edinburgh Zoo pandas(25 of27)
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People watch Tian Tian the panda in its enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo as members of the public are let in for the first time to see the animals. (credit:PA)
Giant pandas to arrive at new home(26 of27)
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Edinburgh Zoo's Panda Team members (left to right) Christine Colquhoun, Lisette Boxsman and Lisa Baxter at Edinburgh Zoo ahead of the arrival of pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang this weekend. (credit:PA)
Pandas in Edinburgh Zoo(27 of27)
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Giant Panda Yang Guang in his new enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland ahead of going on public display later this week. (credit:PA)
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