USA — Pandas are able to identify one another by their calls, according to a study published in the Scientific Reports.

Pandas have a more than a dozen distinct vocal sounds they make but when it is time for mating season, there is a distinct sound that both male and female giant pandas use, a husky, rapid vibrato known as a bleat.

The bleat helps to alert other pandas if there is a mate available in the area. It also contains information such as the size and identity of the panda.

Pandas have a short mating season as the female pandas only ovulate once a year and are able to conceive for only a few days in an year, according to the New York Times.

The researchers recorded the bleats of giant pandas and tested how well the sound would travel through dense bamboo thickets.

However, the researchers found that the bleat works best if a potential mate is less than 10 meters away.

The study could help conservationists trying to encourage pandas to breed as their population continues to dwindle.