Giant Pandas

DAVID WILDT is Senior Scientist and Chairman of the Department of Reproductive Sciences at Smithsonian's National Zoological Park. ANJU ZHANG is the former Director of the Giant Panda Technical Committee in China under the auspices of the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens. HEMIN ZHANG is Director of Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province. Both Anju Zhang and Hemin Zhang are among China's leading authorities on giant panda reproduction and health. DONALD L. JANSSEN is Director of Veterinary Services at the Zoological Society of San Diego. SUSIE ELLIS is Vice President of the Indonesia and Philippines Program at Conservation International, based in Washington DC.

1. The giant panda as a social, biological and conservation phenomenon; 2. The giant panda biomedical survey: how it began and the value of people working together across cultures and disciplines; 3. Factors limiting reproductive success in the giant panda as revealed by a biomedical survey; 4. Significant medical issues and biological reference values for giant pandas from the biomedical survey; 5. Life histories and behavioural traits as predictors of breeding status; 6. Nutrition and dietary husbandry; 7. Male reproductive biology in giant pandas in breeding programmes in China; 8. Endocrinology of the giant panda and application of hormone technology to species management; 9. The value and significance of vaginal cytology; 10. Parentage assessment among captive giant pandas in China; 11. The science of behavioural management: creating biologically relevant living environments in captivity; 12. Evaluating stress and well-being in the giant panda: a system for monitoring; 13. The neonatal giant panda: hand-rearing and medical management; 14. Consequences of early rearing on socialization and social competence of the giant panda; 15. Medical management of captive adult and geriatric giant pandas; 16. Diseases and pathology of giant pandas; 17. Ultrasonography to assess and enhance health and reproduction in the giant panda; 18. Gastrointestinal endoscopy in the giant panda; 19. Historical perspective of breeding giant pandas ex situ in China and high priorities for the future; 20. Role and efficiency of artificial insemination and genome resource banking; 21. Analysis of demographic and genetic trends for developing a captive breeding masterplan for the giant panda; 22. Partnerships and capacity building for securing giant pandas ex situ and in situ: how zoos are contributing to conservation.