Activity Patterns of Captive Red Panda ( Ailurus fulgens )

• Published in: Animals (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 5; p. 846
• Main Authors: Bugler, Kathryn A, Ross, James G, Paterson, Adrian M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25-02-2023; MDPI
• Subjects: activity budgets; Activity patterns; Ailurus fulgens; Ambient temperature; Animals; Aquariums; Behavior; Camcorders; Cameras; Conspecifics; Environmental changes; Environmental factors; ex situ management; Mortality; Opening hours; Pandas; Publishing industry; temperature effects; Variables; Walkways; Wildlife conservation; Zoo animals; Zoos; New Zealand; United Kingdom; United States; China; Australasia; Nepal; activity budgets; ex situ management; temperature effects
• ISSN: 2076-2615; 2076-2615
• DOI: 10.3390/ani13050846

We studied the activity budgets of seven
, 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.