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Fall 2003 CURRENT RESEARCHResearchers Apply Expertise To Panda Reproduction It's not unusual for Scott Willard, an animal and dairy scientist for the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES), to find himself working with black and white animals, but they are usually Holstein dairy cattle. His latest project, however, is with more exotic subjects - the Memphis Zoo's newest residents, giant pandas Ya Ya and Le Le. Willard leads a team conducting reproductive research on Ya Ya, a 2-year-old female on loan from China's Beijing Zoo, and Le Le, a 4 year old male on loan from the Shanghai Zoo. “Studying the reproductive status of pandas is essential in helping this endangered animal breed. Female pandas are only able to get pregnant three or four days out of the year, which is a very small window for reproductive success,” Willard said. Willard and Brian Rude, also a MAFES animal and dairy scientist, used their expertise in livestock reproduction and nutrition to create a panda research proposal, which was accepted and funded by the Memphis Zoo and implemented when the pandas arrived from China in early April. Willard monitors the many hormones present in the pandas' urine and fecal samples, analyzing them for influence by reproductive behavior, time of year and environmental factors. This noninvasive approach will not require handling the animals to obtain blood samples, and it will be tied to Rude's nutrition studies. “It is everyone's hope that Ya Ya and Le Le will mate, and hopefully our research efforts will aid in that process,” Willard said. “Examining the pandas' hormones may help us understand the prime conditions for reproduction, enabling us to make reproductive management plans for Ya Ya and Le Le, as well as pandas in other zoos or conservation facilities.” Meghan Carr, a research biologist at the Memphis Zoo said the importance of studying giant pandas is to better understand why they are endangered and to see what can be done to preserve their species and habitat. “With only about 1,000 pandas living in the wild, it is extremely important that we examine their habitat, behavior, reproduction and nutrition in order to save future generations,” she said. Only about 150 pandas live in zoos or breeding centers around the world, and the establishment of breeding programs has long been a challenge for zookeepers, veterinarians and researchers. Chinese facilities in Beijing, Shanghai and Chungqing have had the most success, with 34 surviving cubs, but few cubs have been born or survived outside of China. The nutritional research conducted by Rude may determine ways pandas in the wild can be helped to survive and reproduce more successfully. He is studying the animals' nutrient requirements and how bamboo selection meets these requirements. Remote monitoring of panda eating habits in the wild through fecal nutrient profiling also is a part of the study. “This species is quite different than the animals traditionally studied in this area of the country, but we can draw from our research and experience to study the nutritional habits and preferences of the pandas, hopefully opening doors to help protect and preserve them,” Rude said. “We get to use local tools and research to study concerns with a global impact.” Pandas consume a tremendous amount of bamboo, each eating about 15,000 pounds per year. Rude said the Memphis Zoo allots about 70 pounds of bamboo per day for each panda. The pandas also receive a daily supplemental biscuit fortified with vitamins and nutrients. Seven species of bamboo from various Southeastern locations, including Coffeeville, are being grown for Ya Ya and Le Le. Each type is being evaluated for nutrient quality. Rude also is studying which types of bamboo Ya Ya and Le Le prefer under different circumstances. By coordinating reproductive and nutritional research, the scientists hope to establish techniques for monitoring the health and demographics of wild panda populations, including the number of males and females in a population and determining if any females are pregnant. Willard and Rude have made a three-year research commitment with their current research plan, but they hope these efforts will continue throughout the pandas' 10-year stay in Memphis. “Conservation efforts are long-term, so we hope to go down new paths and use new findings to assist with panda preservation,” Rude said. This edition of Current Research was written by Laura Whelan. |
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