EAZA Tiger Campaign extended to 2004 Contents - European ...

valuable data, especially during future
mating seasons. The pandas are not
yet sexually mature and the male
displays no aggression towards the
female, rather he demonstrates friendly
affection to his play-mate. This enables
us to keep them together now, even
though they may have to be separated
when mature. The lay-out of the
enclosure is constructed in such a way
that glass fronts split both inside and
outside enclosures in halves with gates
that can be closed in case the male and
female must be separated. A screened
opening will still guarantee olfactory,
acoustic and visual communication.
The pandas are fed home-grown
bamboo supplemented by different
species of bamboo from a plantation in
southern France. Every two weeks a
700 kg truck-load of fresh-growth arrives
at the zoo, and is stored in a newly
constructed cool room. Schönbrunn Zoo
hopes to be able to provide enough
bamboo for both animals from its own
four hectares bamboo plantation in
southeastern Austria in the future.
The pandas can be found grazing the
lawn in the outside enclosure like
ruminants on sunny days. The panda’s
News from Members
natural diet includes small amounts of
animal protein. However, our panda
pair was not familiar with this and
consequently we are currently offering
various insects, meats and mice to
detect individual preferences. Treats
offered include leaf-eater pellets,
carrots, apples, red peppers, and
various other vegetables. These treats
are especially valuable during daily
training sessions, in which the pandas
learn through imitating their familiar
keeper to be touched by veterinarians
through bars, to sit upright, and to
stand on their hind legs. The first
x-ray and ultrasound images have
already be successfully taken without
having to anesthesize the animals
after just a short amount of training.
Symbol for conservation
As one of the most rare and at the
same time most popular mammals on
earth, giant pandas became the symbol
for conservation. Today only about one
thousand animals remain in the wild
due to extreme habitat restrictions,
low reproductive rate, poaching,
limited bamboo availability, and
low genetic diversity. The
Viennese pandas act as
ambassadors for their
species and Schönbrunn Zoo is very
proud to host them and to take action
in helping to prevent this species from
extinction.
Of course education is one of the major
issues since people tend to only protect
things they know and love. Living
animals are the best way to establish a
relationship and thus to make people
want to protect these animals. We have
special guided tours for pandas, and
many informative graphics in the house
and outside enclosure. We published a
booklet about the biology and threats
of giant pandas and are also planning
‘Panda days’, a series of special events
concerning pandas and bamboo.
We are financially supporting the
State Forestry Administration, which
has confirmed that the money will be
used for wildlife conservation in China.
However we have not yet been informed
about specific projects. We work
together closely with WWF since
Mr. Helmuth Pechlaner, director of
Schönbrunner Tiergarten, is also
president of WWF Austria.
EAZA News 43 – 2003
15
July - August - September