Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The red panda is a carnivore who is specialized at feeding of bamboo. Bamboo is very low in
nutrient and the red panda therefor need to forage through large parts of the day. They live in
subtropical and temperate forests from Nepal in the west to China in the east. The red panda is
considered endangered by the IUCN because it has decreased by 50 % the last 18 years. The biggest
threat to the red panda is deforestation of their living area because the humans in the area uses the
land for their livestock, farming and to build houses on.

The aim of this study was to evaluate how two red pandas at Nordens Ark utilize their enclosure
and if they divide the enclosure between each other. Therefor an ethological study was carried out
during 14 days in April, the pandas were observed three times a day, one hour each. One of the
individuals were observed with continuous focal sampling and the other with scan sampling with
five minutes interval. The results of the enclosure utilization could then be used to suggest new
resources that should be given to the pandas to increase their welfare.

The study showed that the red pandas at Nordens Ark spent most of their time resting and
climbing in the trees. Therefor it is recommended that zoos give red pandas a lot of trees in their
enclosure and the possibility of climbing between them since the do not like to spend time on the
ground. The pandas were not often interacting, but they did not seem to divide the enclosure between
each other either