China's giant panda Lin Hui's much-anticipated pregnancy has proved to be a false alarm as latest ultrasound scans confirm she does not carry a foetus in Thai northern city of Chiang Mai, according to a local media report Saturday.

Earlier, zoo veterinarians suspected the panda was pregnant but it has turned out Lin Hui is just having a pseudo-pregnancy. Chiang Mai Zoo veterinarian Kannikar Nimtrakul said no panda foetus was found in the latest scan.

"A false panda pregnancy is not uncommon. Such pregnancies have been reported often," Kannikar was quoted by the Bangkok Post as saying.

Giant pandas Lin Hui and Chuang Chuang arrived at Chiang Mai Zoo on Oct. 12, 2003, on loan for 10 years from China's Sichuan Province.

Since their arrival, they have attracted a large number of visitors to the zoo.

Kannikar said Lin Hui stood little chance of a successful pregnancy during this period because her mate, Chuang Chuang, is too young and inexperienced in mating.

A team of zoo veterinarians decided the pair should be kept apart and put in separate living quarters for a while.

They argued the giant pandas had stayed close together for too long, which made them feel more like siblings. This could explain their possible lack of interest in reproducing. Keeping them separate could help revive their sexual drive, particularly in the male.

Sophon Damnui, director-general of the Zoological Park Organization, urged visitors to hurry if they want to see the pandas together because they would be kept in separate rooms next year.

Chiang Mai Zoo director Thanaphat Pongpamorn said about 15 million baht (US$375,000) would be spent on building separate living quarters for the giant pandas, and creating an environment more conducive to their mating.

The zoo would make preparations for breeding during November-December and would encourage its star attractions to breed in January next year.

Artificial insemination would also be attempted, the report said.