Evaluation of behavioral factors influencing reproductive success and failure in captive giant pandas

Abstract

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 where reproductive problems have occurred, and discuss remedial actions taken with individual animals. During each year of this study (1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000), 93% of the females experienced estrus, 72% copulated, and 51% gave birth. Two-thirds of the males mated each year. Most instances of mating failure were attributed to male behavior. In nearly half of mating failures, the male mounted but did not copulate. In about one-third of mating failures, the male lacked sexual motivation, and showed excessive aggression 20% of the time. The males varied, and some were more likely to show interest in estrous females in neighboring enclosures and/or mate successfully during introductions. Copulation time was unrelated to reproductive success, but more insemination events (matings and artificial inseminations (AIs) combined) may be related to twinning. We suspect that temperament, stress, and husbandry practices play a role in isolated cases of reproductive failure in females, both pre-and postcopulation. Pregnancy or conception failure occurred in 35% of females inseminated naturally or through artificial insemination (AI). Behavioral management at Wolong is holistic and emphasizes biological relevance, including enrichment and well-being, intensive monitoring of signs of estrus, and male-female familiarization and olfactory communication during the mating season.

Wildlife conservation and animal temperament: causes and consequences of evolutionary change for captive, reintroduced, and wild populations

“…Even when closely managing breeding through the use of artificial insemination and studbooks, stress related to temperament differences may directly interfere with pregnancies (Zhang, Swaisgood & Zhang, 2004) or offspring survival (Korhonen, Jauhiainen & Rekil¨a, 2002;Cleveland et al, 2004;Zhang et al, 2004). By identifying the temperament traits that correlate with elevated stress levels during husbandry techniques, procedures can be specifically tailored to reduce stress in particularly susceptible individuals.…”

Novel Environmental Enrichment May Provide a Tool for Rapid Assessment of Animal Personality: A Case Study With Giant Pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

“…Historically, giant pandas have not reproduced well in captivity (Lindburg, Huang, & Huang, 1998;Zhang, Swaisgood, & Zhang, 2004). Many males demonstrated a lack of interest in females or were aggressive to females during mating introductions; females too were sometimes aggressive or uninterested in mates and would sometimes exhibit a weak or silent estrus.…”

Acrosomal integrity and capacitation are not influenced by sperm cryopreservation in the giant panda

“…The managed breeding of giant pandas is challenging because males often experience low libido and/or aggressive behaviours toward females (Liu et al 1998, Zhang et al 2004). There is a high level of genetic heterozygosity in the ex situ population of .…”