Chengdu
Research Base of Giant Panda BreedingThe Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is located just outside of the huge metropolis of Chengdu in China's Sichuan Province. Nearly 10 million people live in this city, as do quite a few pandas at the Base. The Wolong Breeding Center and the Chengdu Base are probably the two best known panda breeding facilities in the country and have been very successful at producing cubs. Here I was able to observe 15 adult pandas.
Chengdu
is a Top-Notch Breeding Center
The base is a huge, beautifully landscaped park. In fact it took us several
days to learn our way around. Bamboo is growing everywhere around the
base, but none of it is fed to the pandas. The pandas' bamboo all comes
from the mountains. Special misting sheds built all around the grounds
keep bamboo fresh in Chengdu's heat.
Zoo
Atlanta's Researcher Mixes Up Panda Feeding Schedules
Here we met a researcher from Zoo Atlanta named Estelle Sandhaus. She
is looking at how the feeding schedule influences behavior. Many zoo animals
can usually anticipate when they are going to be fed. Sometimes the anticipation
leads to abnormal or detrimental behavior, such as pacing. Estelle is
varying the feeding schedule to see if this will decrease the anticipation
and thus cut down on the pandas' stereotypic behavior.
A male panda in Chengdu
does
a "leg cock" scent marking posture.
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