INTRODUCTION

Among mammals, the giant panda is reproductively unique. The female is a seasonal, monoestrual breeder, experiencing a single- two to three-day period of sexual receptivity once per year, presumably triggered by increasing day length. In the wild, male giant pandas compete with conspecifics for access to oestrous females (Schaller et al., 1985). Giant pandas produce copious sperm numbers (see Chapter 7), presumably as ‘insurance’ to ensure conception and the perpetuation of the male's genes if given the opportunity to mate during a female's brief window of fertility. Although the extraordinarily short oestrus is a fascinating biological trait, it does not appear to limit reproductive success in captivity given that a sexually compatible male is available and breeding occurs. It does, however, present challenges for captive management for cub production.

The wild-born giant panda cub stays with its mother for 1.5 to 2.5 years (Schaller et al., 1985). This almost always is not the case in Chinese zoos and breeding centres, because of the practice of promoting annual cub production by early weaning, usually before six months of age (see Chapter 14). The consequences of this short-term gain on long-term development remain a question, and studies are continuing on the impact of disrupted early rearing on adverse behaviours, including inappropriate aggression, inadequate sexual behaviour and/or incompetent maternal behaviour (see Chapter 14). These anomalies are rather common in the ex situ giant panda world. Many males tend to show aggressive rather than affiliative behaviours, even to females demonstrating strong oestrus.

INTRODUCTION

The new information in this book is largely the product of a series of successful cross-cultural and biological experiments – that is, people with diverse backgrounds and skills working together over time to create scholarly information, which is already being used to enhance giant panda management. Much of the progress is the result of personal relationships that developed during the course of the Survey, which, in turn, provided some valuable lessons about working together in China. Among these is the importance of developing respectful, collegial partnerships. This does not mean a one-time meeting or research study but rather long-lasting relationships that are sustained over many years. This obviously requires substantial investments of time and money, and fierce commitments by all parties. In China, this also means the need for frequent face-to-face interaction.

Remarkably, all of this has transpired to benefit giant pandas, both ex situ and in situ. While this chapter briefly reviews why success occurred, its main purpose is to share new information about the larger impacts of these relationships. In particular, we examine how partnerships involving giant pandas are addressing one of China's most frequently identified needs – capacity building, thereby creating the next generation of skilled biologists and managers devoted to conserving Chinese wildlife and their habitats. Interestingly, zoos are a major force taking many of these steps forward.

WHY SUCCESS TO DATE?

There are three elements responsible for the significant increase in knowledge about giant panda biology, as follows.