Seasonal shifts in giant panda feeding behavior: relationships to bamboo plant part consumption
Abstract The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is classified as a carnivore, yet subsists on a diet comprised almost exclusively of bamboo. Wild and captive giant pandas use highly selective foraging behaviors for processing and consuming bamboo. These behaviors are for the first time quantified in captive giant pandas over a 5-year period of time showing […]
Characteristics and in vitro fertilizing ability of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) frozen-thawed epididymal spermatozoa obtained 4 hours postmortem: A case report
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.10133.abs When Chu-Lin, a male giant panda (studbook #249), died at Madrid Zoo, his reproductive tract was removed 4 hr postmortem and the epididymal spermatozoa were collected. Extended sperm were kept at 5°C for 4 hr, loaded into straws, and frozen for 7 min in liquid nitrogen vapor before the straws were plunged into […]
Evaluation of behavioral factors influencing reproductive success and failure in captive giant pandas
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.10118.abs The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) breeding center in Wolong, China, has experienced a recent dramatic increase in reproduction, with the population nearly tripling in the past 7 years. Much of this success comes from the development of behavioral management strategies, guided by the application of scientific knowledge. Here we present statistics that illuminate […]
Post-occupancy evaluation of zoo Atlanta’s Giant Panda Conservation Center: Staff and visitor reactions
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.10102.abs Construction of a new zoo animal exhibit impacts animals, visitors, and staff, and considerable attention should be paid to evaluation of the exhibit. In November 1999, Zoo Atlanta received two giant pandas from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan, China, which presented an opportunity to evaluate the new giant panda […]
Hormonal and behavioral correlates of estrus in captive giant pandas
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.10047.abs Variability in female estrus expression has been identified as a barrier to captive panda reproduction [Lindburg and Millard, 1995]. In China, researchers have reported that 80% of female giant pandas in captivity exhibit “weak estrus,” or “the absence of overt estrous behavior” [Shuling et al., 1997]. Previous research on the reproductive endocrinology and […]
Hormonal and behavioral relationships during estrus in the giant panda
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.10027.abs Nonlactating female giant pandas experience a single estrus during the spring mating season. Although both hormonal and behavioral aspects of estrus have been reported on captive females, little is known about the relationship between them. Data were collected on a single captive female during three successive seasons, revealing a high degree of regularity […]
Giant panda diets fed in five Chinese facilities: An assessment
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1430140303.abs Information on diets fed to captive giant pandas in five Chinese facilities (Beijing Zoo, Chengdu Zoo, China Conservation and Research Center, Fuzhou Zoo, and the Xian Zoo for the Giant Panda) in which pandas have successfully reproduced was compiled from publications and/or personal communications. Each facility feeds a steamed grain mixture comprising 13–56% […]
Spatial memory recall in the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
The current study tested spatial memory recall in 1 male and 1 female giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The task required subjects to make a delayed response to a previously lighted location, with varying lengths of delay between the observation phase and the test phase. The male subject reached criterion at 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, […]
Giant Panda Scent-Marking Strategies in the Wild: Role of Season, Sex and Marking Surface
Scent marking entails significant energetic and opportunity costs that demand efficiency. Signal detection theory offers a theoretical framework that generates testable hypotheses regarding where animals should place scent signals in the environment in a way that maximizes their probability of detection by target receivers while minimizing costs of production and distribution. Solitary and reliant on […]