No panda pregnancy just yet

Adelaide Zoo officials are keeping a close watch on giant panda Funi for confirmation that the pitter-patter of tiny panda feet may not be far away.

There's nothing to report just yet with the next month crucial to whether or not Funi is pregnant.

The nine-year-old is showing early signs of having conceived after the recent mating season but such activity is not unusual.

Zoo officials say pandas often go through what is known as a phantom pregnancy.

"We're hoping in the next month or so we'll know one way or the other," a zoo spokeswoman said on Friday.

A giant panda pregnancy can only be confirmed by ultrasound when the foetus is big enough to be seen and that may not be until a few weeks before the mother gives birth.

Progesterone levels rise but do so in a real or phantom pregnancy, making it difficult to pick the difference.

Funi and her mate Wang Wang came to Adelaide on loan from China in 2009 as part of a conservation program to protect endangered wildlife.

In recent years the zoo has brought in experts to help the pair conceive, without success.