Meet the Zoo's Giant Pandas: Exhibit Orientation
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Meet the Zoo's
Giant Pandas: Exhibit Orientation
Tian Tian ("t-YEN t-YEN") and Mei Xiang ("may sh-ONG') were both
born at the China Research and Conservaton Center for the Giant
Panda in Wolong, Sichuan Province, China. Tian Tian is the male.
His name means "more and more," and he was born August 27,
1997. Mei Xiang, the female–whose name means "beautiful
fragrance"–was born on July 22, 1998. The pair is on a 10-year loan
to the Zoo, under an agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation
Association. It is everyone's hope that the young pair will breed.
These giant pandas live at the Zoo's Giant Panda Exhibit. The exhibit
consists of both indoor and outdoor enclosures and is lined with
interesting graphics explaining giant panda natural history and the
history of giant pandas in China and at the Zoo. Among the topics
covered:
• wild giant pandas in China
• zoo pandas
• panda feeding adaptations
• giant panda reproduction
• giant panda behavior
• conservation of giant pandas and their habitat
• the history of the National Zoo's first pair of giant pandas, Ling-
Ling and Hsing-Hsing
• the biology of bamboo.
Friends of the National Zoo Page 89There is a current events bulletin board where you can find recent articles about giant pandas. The Panda House, first opened in 1972, was revamped before the arrival of the Zoo's latest giant pandas, both of which arrived in December 2000. The pair is on exhibit daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. However, the best time to see them is as early in the morning as possible (9 a.m. to 11 a.m.), when the animals are most active and the number of visitors is lower. The giant pandas are also usually active between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. At particularly crowded times, especially weekends, you may have to wait in line for a little while before seeing the pandas. From the National Zoo's north gate at Connecticut Avenue, the bus parking lot, or parking lots A and B, you will easily reach the exhibit within a few minutes' walk. From the other, lower, parts of the park, the walk will be a bit longer. Please note that parking at the Zoo is limited. Metrorail, Metrobus, or taxis are recommended. The outdoor yards provide many opportunities for viewing panda behavior, especially in the morning and during cooler weather. The large yards are separated by a dividing wall, but an opening in the fence's far end allows both animals access to both yards. Also, mesh windows allow the pandas to interact visually at times when they are not together. Zoo staff members carefully observe the two giant pandas' interactions to detect their compatibility and preferences. They are also experimenting with different plants, substrates (such as soil and sand) and large objects such as rocks, trees, and artificial Friends of the National Zoo Page 90
objects such as balls to determine Tian Tian's and Mei Xiang's likes and dislikes. You and your students can observe the Zoo's giant pandas' interactions with the following elements of the outdoor enclosures. Zoo staff watch these interactions also, occasionally fine-tuning exhibit components in order to create the best Zoo giant panda habitat possible. For instance, two types of cooling areas were installed to allow the pandas to escape the mugginess of D.C. summers–chilled rock den and cold-air den (see list below). Zoo staff and volunteers will be trying to determine which of these the pandas prefer. These and other elements include: • sand baths – for "dirt-bathing" • mist grove – a misty retreat from the heat that allows public viewing • fog grove – a foggy retreat from the heat that allows public viewing • chilled-rock den – chilled water in embedded pipes cools this cave • cold-air den – air-conditioned shallow, open cave • pools – for dips during hot days • tree and rock structures – for climbing and exercise • various trees and shrubs – for shade and cover. From time to time, new types will be planted. Outdoor enclosure vegetation includes firs, hemlocks, various shrubs, red cedars, and dawn redwoods of the same or similar same species as those found in China. Friends of the National Zoo Page 91
Inside the Giant Panda Exhibit, you will find three separate but connected enclosures. Hand-painted murals of central Chinese mountains lend a fitting backdrop to the giant pandas when they are indoors. The giant pandas also have private, indoor dens where they can rest in a more private setting. When necessary, this area and the outdoor viewing area can be closed off from the public. This might occur, for example, if the Zoo staff determine that Mei Xiang is pregnant. At the exhibit, trained Friends of the National Zoo volunteers are on hand seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They meet with visitors and answer questions about giant pandas, and may have some panda brochures and interesting artifacts on hand, such as casts of panda footprints. You can also inquire at the Visitor Center, located just inside the Zoo's Connecticut Avenue gate. Keepers do not feed Tian Tian and Mei Xiang at set times. You may find the animals feeding at any time of day. Friends of the National Zoo Page 92
Giant Panda Background Information This following information provides background on giant panda behavior, conservation, and how biologists track and hope to reintroduce giant pandas. There is also information on other animals and plants that share giant panda habitat, and other rare animals that live in China. This material will help you answer many questions and augments the information provided in the Teacher Background Information sections preceding each activity. Do other species benefit from giant panda habitat protection? Many species benefit under the umbrella of protection afforded to large, popular animals that require large protected areas for survival. In the case of the giant panda, their natural habitat falls within some of the world's most biologically diverse temperate forests. Around the world, other "flagship" species, whose protection benefits many other animals and plants, include: • jaguar (Central and South America) • brown bear (North America, Europe, Asia) • gray wolf (North America, Europe, Asia) • tiger (Asia) • orang utan (Asia) • lion (Africa and Asia–northwest India) • golden lion tamarin (South America) Friends of the National Zoo Page 93
A good example of the umbrella protection provided by giant pandas can be found at China's Wolong Nature Reserve. Set aside primarily to protect giant panda habitat, Wolong has great biological diversity, hosting many other creatures and plants. Scientists have recorded 92 other mammal species, 275 bird species, 20 of reptiles, 17 of amphibians, and 9 of fish, not to mention about 4,000 plant and thousands of invertebrate species. Many of these are rare and/or have localized ranges. How large is an adult giant panda? On all four legs, giant pandas stand two to three feet tall at the shoulder. They reach up to six feet long. Males are usually larger than females, weighing up to 250 pounds in the wild; females rarely reach 220 pounds. Overall, giant pandas are about the same size as American black bears. What do giant pandas eat and how are they adapted to eat it? With few exceptions, giant pandas eat the stems and leaves of grasses called bamboo. Scientists are trying to learn which types of bamboo they prefer to eat and the nutritional values of these types. Nutritionists believe that giant pandas must select varied parts and species of bamboo for proper nutrition. As a predominantly plant- eating member of the order Carnivora, the giant panda fits no norms. By learning more about giant panda nutrition, scientists will be able to help both in conserving China's remaining bamboo forests and wild giant pandas, while providing the best nourishment for the world's zoo giant pandas. Friends of the National Zoo Page 94
Each day, an adult giant panda eats from 20 to 40 pounds of bamboo. Compare that with the five pounds of food eaten daily by the average person. Typically high in fiber, bamboo quickly passes through a giant panda's digestive system. Also, giant pandas are carnivores-cum-herbivores, and their digestive systems are inefficient. Much of what they eat passes as waste. And so it goes for almost all of the food that giant pandas eat. Rarely, giant pandas also eat bulbs (such as irises and crocuses), fish, carrion, and sometimes rodents. Giant pandas get much, although not all, of the water they need from munching bamboo. The rest they drink from streams or pools. Giant pandas usually feed while sitting upright in a pose that resembles a person sitting on the floor. This posture leaves giant pandas' front paws free to hold bamboo stems while they crush and chew them using their strong jaw muscles and large molar teeth. Giant pandas grasp the stems with the help of a thumb-like, skin- covered extension of their wrist bones. If you observe the Zoo's pandas while they feed, you can see these "thumbs" in action. Are giant pandas as cuddly as they look? With unique and boldly patterned coats, giant pandas are easy to identify. Giant pandas' ears, eye patches, muzzles, legs, and shoulders are black, and pretty much all else is white. Eye-catching and widely recognized, giant pandas frequently inspire plush toy manufacturers and their prospective buyers. However, although they look cute, giant pandas, if threatened or approached, can be as Friends of the National Zoo Page 95
dangerous as any other bears. They are certainly neither approachable nor cuddly. Why are giant pandas so boldly colored? Scientists don't know the answer to this question, although some hypothesize that these bears' unusual bold coloration actually helps them blend in with their shade-dappled, snowy, and rocky surroundings. How do wild giant pandas breed and when do their young go it alone? Giant pandas are slow breeders and their young remain dependent for quite a while. They do not reach breeding age until between four and eight years old. Mating season is brief, occurring only in spring. During that time, females are in estrus and interested in mating for only two or three days. Calls and scent-marking draw males and females to each other. It is likely that many wild giant pandas that mate already know each other from previous encounters. Female giant pandas give birth between 95 and 160 days after mating. Although females may give birth to two young, usually only one survives. Baby giant pandas are born helpless and tiny–only about the size of a stick of butter and weighing only four to six ounces. Giant panda babies are, proportionately, the second smallest mammal newborns, after marsupials (kangaroos, possums, and their kin). Friends of the National Zoo Page 96
Nutritionally speaking, giant panda cubs are usually weaned from their mothers' milk by one year old, but many nurse for an additional year. They may stay with their mothers for up to three years before striking out on their own. In a lifetime, a female may successfully raise only five to eight cubs. Cubs do not open their eyes until one- and-a-half to two months old and cannot move around on their own for three months. They grow slowly, not attaining adult weight and size for two to four years. How long do giant pandas live? The answer for wild giant pandas remains a mystery, but they likely don't live as long as zoo pandas. The National Zoo's Hsing-Hsing died in 1999 at the age of 29, and was one of the oldest pandas on record. However, Chinese scientists have reported zoo pandas that lived as old as 35 years. What are some high-tech tools that biologists use to spy on wild giant pandas? The giant panda's habitat is misty, filled with rocks, fallen trees, and dense bamboo thickets. It is often inaccessible thanks to jagged rock faces and other barriers. Fortunately, there have never been so many fancy gadgets at the disposal of scientists tracking the world's vanishing and hard-to-see animals. Here are a few examples of tools scientists hope to use to track giant pandas and learn more about their lives in the wild: Friends of the National Zoo Page 97
Radiocollars. Radiotelemetry is transmission and measurement of data from a distant source using radiotracking equipment. By attaching a radiocollar to a wild giant panda, scientists can track the animal's comings and goings in remote, difficult terrain. The collar contains a transmitter, which emits a signal that can be picked up by a biologist's antenna and receiver. The Global Positioning System (GPS) can be used as well, enabling biologists to pinpoint a radiocollared giant panda's whereabouts via satellite. The GPS, originally developed by the U.S. Department of Defense for defense communications, is now in widespread use around the world. The system provides unprecedented accuracy in pinpointing locations around the globe, thanks to a network of satellites and ground-based monitoring stations. The GPS marks locations accurate to within meters. Radiocollars are the best way to reveal the otherwise mysterious movements of giant pandas. Zoo scientists plan to test radiocollars on Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, so that they can work out the kinks and select the best one to potentially use in the mountains of central China. Satellites and Fancy Footwork. Scientists' ability to map critical giant panda habitat–and thus plan conservation programs and potential reintroductions–is better than ever before thanks to modern technology. Satellite-generated images are one very important tool. They can accurately depict the patchwork of landscapes within the giant panda's range, including farms, towns, and different types of Friends of the National Zoo Page 98
wild habitats. Armed with this detailed imagery, Zoo scientists then hope to tramp into the wilds to double-check the satellite images' accuracy at 200 different points, using a GPS to pinpoint exact locations that confirm forest types, elevation, etc. of the sites. The information gathered on the ground and from space will allow scientists to produce an extensive geographic information system (GIS) database that merges information on where giant pandas live, exactly which types of habitats exist there, whether the habitat is at risk or falls within a preserve, and other information. Scientists hope that these powerful tools will help conserve giant pandas locally and regionally by helping to make such difficult projects as reintroductions and wildlife corridors a reality. Will giant panda reintroduction be easy? Reintroduction is the term used for returning members of an animal species to an area where the species once occurred. Such efforts are costly and often difficult, but they have worked for a number of species, including golden lion tamarins in South America and black- footed ferrets in the western United States. (Zoo scientists have been involved in both of these successful ventures.) While currently not feasible because the zoo population is not yet self-sustaining, giant panda reintroduction is a hopeful prospect. But successful reintroductions require that many variables fall into place. For example, suitable habitat must be identified and protected. Local people must know about the project and support it. But even if these things work out, getting a zoo-born animal to thrive in the wild is a tall Friends of the National Zoo Page 99
order. A reintroduced giant panda must be able to go it alone. It must know: • how to find its own food • how to orient itself and learn its surroundings quickly • how to avoid predators, including people • how to socialize and reproduce with wild pandas • how to identify and use local resources, such as dens and trees. There are two types of reintroductions: "soft releases," which may include the preparation and training of animals prior to release and support for them after release, and "hard releases," which do not include any preparation or support. Due to their rarity and sensitivity, giant pandas would likely be favored for "soft release" if such an effort proves possible in the future. For each potential reintroduction, there are vexing but important considerations. For instance, no one currently knows if giant pandas in different regions (or zoos) become accustomed to and very selective of certain types of bamboo. If they are very selective, before release, young zoo pandas will need to be "imprinted" upon bamboos that occur at their reintroduction site. Friends of the National Zoo Page 100
Some Wildlife Found in or near Giant Panda Habitat
(Names in bold indicate species exhibited at the Zoo.)
Animals
Amphibians Mammals
giant salamander musk deer
agile frog white-lipped deer
takin
Reptiles Pallas's cat
Oriental pit viper Eurasian lynx
Doria's ground skink Asiatic wild dog (dhole)
Asiatic black bear
Birds red panda
golden pheasant golden snub-nosed monkey
Temminck's tragopan
northern goshawk
blue magpie
brown dipper
Friends of the National Zoo Page 101Plants
Grasses Trees
bamboo (various species) dogwood
sassafras
Shrubs maple
rhododendron birch
vibernum larch
buttefly bush poplar
hydrangea cherry
juniper apple
oak
basswood
fir
hemlock
spruce
dawn redwood
Friends of the National Zoo Page 102Some of China's Other Rare Animals Reptiles (about 30 species threatened with extinction): Chinese alligator Birds (about 80 species threatened with extinction): black-necked crane red-crowned crane crested ibis brown-eared pheasant Sichuan hill partridge Cinereous vulture Mammals (about 75 species threatened with extinction) tiger snow leopard clouded leopard brown bear red panda Asian small-clawed otter white-cheeked gibbon Yangtze River dolphin, or baiji Asian elephant Przewalski's horse Bactrian camel white-lipped deer Eld's deer Père David's deer wild yak takin argali sheep Tibetan antelope Friends of the National Zoo Page 103
Vocabulary List
1. artificial insemination (AI) – Introduction of sperm to egg via
assisted procedure rather than the mating of two animals.
2. behavior – an animal's response to external and internal stimuli.
3. biodiversity – short for biological diversity. Variety in the world's
organisms, from genetic variation within an individual species to
the diversity of species within and between ecosystems.
4. biology – the study of living organisms and their vital processes.
5. carnivore – an organism that eats animals. Also, a member of the
mammalian order Carnivora.
6. class – a major category of scientific classification that is above
the order and below the phylum.
7. coniferous – refers to trees and shrubs in the plant order
Coniferales, which includes such evergreens as pines, spruces,
cedars, hollies, and yews.
8. cryopreservation – The storage, for short or long term, of eggs or
sperm, which may later be used in artificial insemination.
Specimens are frozen and later thawed when ready for use.
9. deciduous – refers to plants that shed their leaves periodically.
Such familiar trees as maple, oak, birch, elm, and beech are
deciduous.
10. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) – nucleotide bases, usually
connected in long strands, that store all of the information needed
for a cell to function.
11. DNA fingerprinting – a process in which geneticists extract DNA
from a tissue or blood sample, separate it into different-sized
fragments using an electric current, and generate a profile of
different bands. This profile of DNA fragments gives the tested
Friends of the National Zoo Page 104animal a distinctive and unique "fingerprint," which can be used to
determine its relatedness to other animals.
12. ecology – the study of the relationships between organisms and
their environment.
13. ecosystem – a self-regulating, self-sustaining community of
organisms interacting with one another and their environment.
14. enrichment – the practice of providing animals with stimuli and
opportunities that allow them to demonstrate their full behavioral
repertoire and further psychological and physical well-being.
15. estrus – during ovulation of the egg, a time of heightened female
readiness for mating.
16. extinction – the irreversible disappearance of a species.
17. gene – a unit of heredity that is transmitted in chromosomes and
controls the development of a trait. Genes are composed of DNA.
18. genetic diversity – the full spectrum or range of variation in genes
and traits within and between species. Genetic diversity is critical
in facilitating evolution and adaptation of species.
19. genetics – the study of heredity.
20. genome resource bank – a central repository for frozen eggs or
sperm
21. genotype – the genetic constitution of a particular individual.
22. geographic information system (GIS) – a computerized system
or organizing and analyzing [a spatial array] of data and
information.
23. Global Positioning System (GPS) – A worldwide radio-
navigation system formed by a network of satellites and ground-
based monitoring sites. Now in widespread use, the GPS
accurately calculates positions to within a few meters.
Friends of the National Zoo Page 10524. habitat – a place where an animal, plant, or microorganism, or a
community of different organisms lives, eats, grows, and
successfully reproduces.
25. herbivore – an animal whose diet primarily consists of plant
matter.
26. heredity – passing of traits from parents to their young.
27. hypothesis (plural hypotheses; verb, to hypothesize) – an
expectation of the relationship between two or more variables. An
educated guess about a situation.
28. inbreeding – breeding between closely related individuals. Often
increases the expression of unfavorable genes, which can
threaten the long-term success of a population or species.
29. natural resources – matter or energy from the environment used
by humans.
30. nutrients – substances necessary for life and growth. With regard
to giant pandas, minerals are particularly important nutrients.
31. nutrition – the process by which organisms obtain and use
nutrients.
32. omnivore – an organism that eats both animal and plant matter.
33. radiotelemetry – transmission and measurement of data from a
distant source using radiotracking equipment. Usually a radio
transmitter is attached to an animal being studied. The transmitter
emits a signal that can be picked up by a researcher using a
special type of antenna and receiver.
34. range – the geographic area where a species is usually found.
35. reintroduction (verb, to reintroduce) – Releasing animals back to
a wild area where they once occurred. There are two categories of
reintroductions: "soft releases," which may include preparation and
Friends of the National Zoo Page 106training for animals prior to release and support afterwards, and
"hard releases," which do not include any preparation or support.
36. species – a population or populations of organisms that can
produce fertile offspring.
37. Species Survival Plan (SSP) – a breeding program in which zoos
work together to maintain the greatest genetic diversity possible in
a species' zoo population.
38. stimulus (plural stimuli) – anything in the environment to which an
organism can respond (e.g. auditory stimuli).
39. sustainable – refers to planned long-term use of a resource in
order to leave enough for future generations, instead of short-term
use of all of the resource.
40. taxonomy – the scientific classification of organisms, based on
characteristics held in common.
41. trait – a characteristic of an organism.
42. vocalization – a call, song, or other communicating sound made
by an animal.
43. wean – switching a young mammal from its dependence upon
mother's milk to other foods.
Friends of the National Zoo Page 107Resources for Further Information Books and Magazines ZooGoer Magazine, special giant panda issue, January/February 2001. (See also FONZ website at www.fonz.org/zoogoer/zg- archives.htm ZooGoer Magazine, special bear issue, March/April 1999. (See also FONZ website at www.fonz.org/zoogoer/zg-archives.htm The Last Panda, by George B. Schaller; University of Chicago Press, 1993 (latest printing). The Giant Pandas of Wolong, by George B. Schaller, Hu Jinchu, Pan Wenshi, and Zhu Jing; University of Chicago Press, 1985. Websites Zoo Atlanta: http://www.zooatlanta.org The Bear Den (information on bear conservation programs): http://www.bearden.org/beartag.html China Wildlife Conservation Association: http://www.sepaeic.gov.cn/english/NGO/CWCA.htm Friends of the National Zoo Page 108
Conservation Breeding Specialist Group: http://www.cbsg.org/ FONZ Giant Panda Website (info about wild and the National Zoo's pandas): http://pandas.si.edu/ National Zoo Panda Cams: http://pandas.si.edu/pandacam/index.htm San Diego Zoo: http://www.sandiegozoo.org Species Survival Plans (SSPs): http://aza.org/programs/SSP/ U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS): http://www.fws.gov/ World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) information on giant pandas: http://www.panda.org/resources/publications/species/pandas/index.ht m WWF-U.S.: http://www.wwfus.org Friends of the National Zoo Page 109
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