By Mark Molloy and AFP, Aug. 27, 2014, Telegraph.co.uk

The planned first ever live-broadcast of a panda giving birth has been cancelled amid claims the expectant mother faked her pregnancy.

Giant panda Ai Hin may have tricked staff at a breeding centre in China to receive more pampering and extra food rations, according to AFP.

The six-year-old had shown signs of pregnancy last month, according to staff at the Chengdu Breeding Research Centre, in China's southwestern province of Sichuana.

But shortly after being moved to a single room with air conditioning and around-the-clock care her “behaviour and physiological indexes returned to normal”.

Experts believe Ai Hin was enjoying the extra attention and additional treats before staff realised she wasn’t actually pregnant.