Reaching over the gap: A review of trends in and status of red panda research over 193 years (1827-2020)

Conservation Genomics and Metagenomics of Giant and Red Pandas in the Wild

Giant pandas and red pandas are endangered species with similar specialized bamboo diet and partial sympatric distribution in China. Over the last two decades, the rapid development of genomics and metagenomics research on these species has enriched our knowledge of their biology, ecology, physiology, genetics, and evolution, which is crucial and useful for their conservation. We describe the evolutionary history, endangerment processes, genetic diversity, and population structure of wild giant pandas and two species of red pandas (Chinese and Himalayan red pandas). In addition, we explore how genomics and metagenomics studies have provided insight into the convergent adaptation of pandas to the specialized bamboo diet. Finally, we discuss how these findings are applied to effective conservation management of giant and red pandas in the wild and in captivity to promote the long-term persistence of these species.

Morphological and molecular evidence reveals a new species of chewing louse Pancola ailurus n. sp. (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae) from the endangered Chinese red panda Ailurus styani

Lice are six-legged, wingless, insect parasites of mammals and birds, and include two main functional groups: blood-sucking lice and chewing lice. However, it is still not clear whether the Chinese red panda Ailurus styani is infested with the parasitic louse. In the present study, we describe a new genus and a species of chewing louse, Pancola ailurus (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae) based on morphological and molecular datasets. The morphological features showed that Pancola is closer to Paratrichodectes. The genetic divergence of cox1 and 12S rRNA among the Pancola ailurus n. sp. and other Trichodectidae lice was 29.7 - 34.6% and 38.9 - 43.6%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses based on the available mitochondrial gene sequences showed that P. ailurus n. sp. is more closely related to Trichodectes canis and Geomydoecus aurei than to Felicola subrostratus and together nested within the family Trichodectidae. This study is the first record of parasitic lice from the endangered Chinese red panda A. styani and highlights the importance of integrating morphological and molecular datasets for the identification and discrimination of new louse species.

Predictors of psychological stress and behavioural diversity among captive red panda in Indian zoos and their implications for global captive management

At high elevations, biodiversity is at elevated risk from extinctions due to rapid environmental changes. In the most of its range in Himalayas, the red panda, an endangered species, is struggling to survive in the wild, and a global captive breeding programme has been launched to conserve the species. Because captivity can have negative impacts on animals, reducing the chance of successful reintroduction, we investigated the predictors of stereotyped behaviour and behavioural diversity of red panda (n = 26), and the effect of stereotypy on their behavioural diversity in three Indian zoos. Multivariate analysis showed that stereotypy increased with density of logs on the ground, age and higher among pandas in zoo 3 compared to zoo 2, but decreased with number of nests, sociality, tree density and tree height used. Similarly, behavioural diversity increased with log density, but decreased among pandas in zoo 2 compared to zoo 1, during summer compared to winter, and also with ambient temperature, stereotypy, tree density, and tree height used. The relationship between stereotypy and behavioural diversity was negative, but not significant. Provision of a greater density of trees was associated with higher levels of daytime inactivity. Findings from this study have global relevance, as the captive red panda experiences similar welfare issues around the world, and our data provide empirical support for some existing guidelines for red panda husbandry.