title: Comparison of microhabitats and foraging strategies between the captive-born Zhangxiang and wild giant pandas: implications for future reintroduction.
abstract: The female giant panda Zhangxiang (pedigree number 826) was born on August 20, 2011 in Wolong Nature Reserve, China. On November 6, 2013, Zhangxiang was transported into the acclimatization enclosure in the Liziping Nature Reserve. Before Zhangxiang left the enclosure into the wild, we conducted the first study to compare microhabitats and foraging strategies between Zhangxiang in the enclosure and giant pandas in the wild. Compared with the latter, microhabitats of Zhangxiang in the enclosure are characteristic of gentler slope, more trees, higher canopy, smaller tree DBH, and lower density of living bamboos. Diet composition and foraging behaviors significantly differed between Zhangxiang and wild giant pandas, perhaps reflecting the combined consequence of environmental conditions (e.g., bamboo species) and individual status (e.g., age, mastication ability, etc.). The difference in microhabitats and foraging strategies between Zhangxiang and wild giant pandas implied that after being released into the natural habitat in the reserve, Zhangxiang will have to adapt to the environmental conditions once again. For future reintroduction, the enclosure can be extended to the Bashania spanostachya forest in the reserve, and captive giant pandas for release can thus normally transit into the wild without human intervention during acclimatization period. For other acclimatization enclosures to be constructed in the future, ecological environment inside, including topography, forests, and bamboos as well, should as possible as can match the habitat that the giant panda to-be-reinforced populations inhabit.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, Ministry of Education, Shida Road 1#, Nanchong, 637009, China.
authors.forename: Miaowen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, Ministry of Education, Shida Road 1#, Nanchong, 637009, China.
authors.forename: Shibin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, Ministry of Education, Shida Road 1#, Nanchong, 637009, China.
authors.forename: Zisong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, Ministry of Education, Shida Road 1#, Nanchong, 637009, China.
authors.forename: Mingsheng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Conservation Division, Sichuan Forestry Bureau, Renmin Road 15#, Chengdu, 610081, China.
authors.forename: Xuyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Conservation Division, Sichuan Forestry Bureau, Renmin Road 15#, Chengdu, 610081, China.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Liziping National Nature Reserve Administration Bureau, Shimian, 625400, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, Ministry of Education, Shida Road 1#, Nanchong, 637009, China. zhangzj@ioz.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Zejun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D031723:Bambusa; D002681:China; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D065928:Forests; D006801:Humans; D058865:Introduced Species; D001503:Ursidae / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Conservation planning; Foraging behavior; Habitat; Liziping nature reserve; Reintroduction