Infrared camera captured various wild animals in a northwest China nature reserve.

In April, 76 cameras were installed across the Laoxiancheng National Nature Reserve in Shaanxi Province to monitor the animals and better understand their behavior in the sanctuary.

The cameras captured footage of 25 out of the 338 vertebrates at the reserve, including golden snub-nosed monkeys, takins, dwarf musk deer and giant pandas.

In a part of the footage, a wild panda put his left leg against a tree and started to urinate on the bark, positioned half-upside down.

According to the staff at the nature reserve, it is part of a common courtship ritual for male giant pandas to urinate in a handstand position. If the urine is higher up on a trunk, it will attract more potential females.

Equally, pandas use their urine to mark territory and warn other males.

Currently, 28 wild pandas call the reserve home, making it a major habitat for wild giant pandas throughout the country.

(Cover image via VCG)

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