Lifestyle shift experiment
Three newborn to 4-month-old giant pandas at the Hetaoping Base of
CCRCGP were chosen for the lifestyle shift experiment. Three primary
experimental groups were established at different times for the same
individual cohort: wild training I, wild training II, and reintroduced
groups. The cub giant pandas were maintained in wild training I until
11-15 months old. Then the three wild-trained I giant pandas were
subsequently moved to wild training II
environment
for 7-15 more months until they were 27-39 months old. Finally, two well
trained giant pandas after wild trained II were reintroduced to the
Liziping National Nature Reserve in Ya’an of Sichuan (29°2′ N, 102°46′
E), a natural forest environment without any human disturbances. The
wild-training giant pandas were living together with their mothers
separately. After learning skills to survive in the wild during
wild-training I and II, they left their mothers 2-3 months before
reintroducing to the wild. Feces were also collected from wild giant
pandas as controls. Giant pandas were fitted with
GPS collars during the wild-training II and reintroduction stages after
approval from the State Forestry Administration of China.
Captivityconditions
Giant pandas were housed in a room comprising a 580 cm x 230 cm x 270 cm
animal house and a 580 x 1300 cm playground. The room was constructed by
a rail network with playground equipment (e.g., a sliding board) and a
pool that provided water. Trees and bamboo were planted around the room
and adjacent rooms were separated by concrete walls. The captivity
facilities were located at the Shenshuping Base of CCRCGP in Wolong,
Sichuan (31°1′N, 103°18′E) at an altitude of about 1500 to 1,700 m.