Activity Patterns of Captive Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens)

Abstract

We studied the activity budgets of seven Ailurus fulgens, at three zoos within Australasia, using video cameras, and in-person observations. Red panda in this study followed a crepuscular activity pattern, with another short peak of activity around midnight. Ambient temperature greatly affected panda activity patterns; red panda allocated more time to resting and sleeping when temperatures increased. This preliminary study suggests how environmental factors affect captive red panda, which will help better inform captive facilities, and how this might impact their wild conspecifics.

Keywords: activity budgets; ex situ management; temperature effects.

Figure 1

Frequency of active behaviours for red panda at three zoos, in 10 min intervals. The red lines show when direct observations were carried out. R² values are calculated from an nth order polynomial line. (A) All zoos combined; (B) Auckland Zoo; (C) Hamilton Zoo; (D) Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Figure 2

The average duration (response) of behaviours carried out at individual zoos by method type, as determined by Emmeans plot output as a histogram (+95 CI) v 1.4.7.

Figure 3

Showing how the duration of behaviours was influenced by temperature at different zoo sites. The five most common behavioural categories were picked for this graph as defecation, interactions, playing, and scent marking occurred infrequently. (A) Auckland Zoo, Adj R² = 0.052105, Intercept = 954.88, Slope = −30.654, p = 1.7274 × 10⁻⁵; (B) Hamilton Zoo, Adj R² = −0.0012626, Intercept = 264.26, Slope = −0.022011, p = 0.99485; (C) Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Adj R² = 0.024695, Intercept = −362.83, Slope = 18.718, p = 0.0011086. (black line: Estimated means, grey shadow: +95 CI) v 1.4.7.

Figure 3

Showing how the duration of behaviours was influenced by temperature at different zoo sites. The five most common behavioural categories were picked for this graph as defecation, interactions, playing, and scent marking occurred infrequently. (A) Auckland Zoo, Adj R² = 0.052105, Intercept = 954.88, Slope = −30.654, p = 1.7274 × 10⁻⁵; (B) Hamilton Zoo, Adj R² = −0.0012626, Intercept = 264.26, Slope = −0.022011, p = 0.99485; (C) Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Adj R² = 0.024695, Intercept = −362.83, Slope = 18.718, p = 0.0011086. (black line: Estimated means, grey shadow: +95 CI) v 1.4.7.

Figure 4

A linear model with a straight line fitted (R studio v 1.4.7) shows that the duration of locomotion events across all zoos was affected by temperature.

Figure 5

A linear model with a straight line fitted (R studio v 1.4.7) shows that the duration of sleeping events across all zoos was affected by temperature.