But the zoo keepers, working as matchmakers, are scrambling around the nation in a bid to help giraffes, chimpanzees and hippos mate.

"There are dozens of animals in mating season and they still have no partners," said Zeng Qingyong, a nutritionist at the Changchun Zoological and Botanical Park, the only zoo in Changchun, which is located in the nation's northeast.

"We have taken a set of measures to help the animals mate, including finding partners for them from outside the zoo."

Many special residents in the zoo have not found their "Mister Right" yet.

No 23, a six-year-old female giraffe, came all the way with her partner to Changchun from Africa in 1998. At the end of last year, the male giraffe died of a digestive disease.

Giraffes reach sexual maturity when they are about four years old, meaning No 23 is somewhat of a "young widow," according to Zhang Hongjun, a staff member from the park who is in charge of the two giraffes.

A frequent visitor to the zoo said: "I feel sorry for her whenever I see her walking and eating alone. I know she must be very sad."

Zeng said: "Number 23 was in tears when the male died and since then she has occasionally suffered from a lack of appetite."

But it is not an easy job to help her find a mate - she is too tall to travel.

Another giraffe will cost the zoo about 200,000 yuan (US$24,183), which is too much for a park that has been severely hit by SARS.

"Salaries have been cut by 30 to 50 percent to keep the park running normally," said Gao Qingbing, a senior park official.

Consanguinity is another concern.

"We must check up on animals' origins and decide whether they are appropriate or not in case of consanguineous marriages," said Lu Baoshun, also from the park.

He said when matching animals, it must be ensured that they can bear children.

Besides giraffe No 23 in the park without love, there is Ajian, a 13-year-old male chimpanzee from Japan.

He came to China with his female companion Amei, who passed away in 2001.

Since then, Ajian has been loosing his temper and he is kept apart from other chimpanzees.

The park has found a female chimpanzee in Jinan, in east China's Shandong Province, but once again transport is an issue. There are also other concerns, like whether he will stay at the zoo or go to live with her.

As for Qiqi, a male hippo, the park is considering bringing in a female from Tianjin.

(China Daily July 1, 2003)