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The “splendid old male” giant panda killed by the Roosevelt brothers in China in 1929 (Roosevelt & Roosevelt 1929:226). Photo courtesy of the Field Museum, Chicago (photo CSZ67964).
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In November 1928, Theodore Jr. and Kermit Roosevelt led an expedition to China with the expressed purpose of being the first Westerners to kill the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The expedition lasted 8 months and resulted in the brothers shooting a giant panda in the mountains of Sichuan Province. Given the concurrent attention in the popul...
Citations
... Turning a species into an icon in order to encourage protection of threatened species is something discussed in the Human-Wildlife Conflict literature (Messmer 2000;Hill 2002). However, a study on "iconic" species suggests that it may not be sufficient to protect a species (Montgomery et al. 2020). In fact, it can work against conservation, as discussed by scholars regarding jaguars in Mesoamerica (Kelly 2015). ...
Human-Wildlife Conflicts (HWCs) occur when nonhuman animals’ needs clash with those of humans. One recent effort regards shifting HWCs into Human-Human Social Conflicts, where conflicts are about humans disagreeing on how to deal with nonhuman animals. This method can help reduce guilt placed on nonhuman animals, but also robs them of their agency. Conversely, some in the field of biology seek to increase animal agency and their moral status, even making them key stakeholders. A helpful relationship may seek both aspects. Fourteen workshops (147 participants, 40 subgroups), with relevant stakeholders, were run on this topic. Participants were involved in biology and/or environmentalism and/or sustainability. They sought to develop terminology diminishing guilt in HWCs, while maintaining agency. Common themes were then brought out. Eight subgroups argued for more inclusive terms, like “sentient beings” and 21 argued for diminishing human/nature dichotomies. Both fit well with increasing agency, and giving nonhumans greater moral status, by narrowing human/nonhuman animal gaps. Participants also discussed nonhuman animals as “icons”, which 26/30 subgroups saw as, at least potentially, problematic, arguing it conceptually “freezes” species, ignoring their dynamism. In sum, the workshops aid in framing healthier relationships with the natural world.
... As an iconic flagship species for wildlife conservation, the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is considered a national treasure in China and is a Class 1 protected endemic species [17]. The giant panda is currently categorized as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and faces continued threats from habitat fragmentation and infectious diseases in both the in situ and ex situ populations. ...
The objective of this study was to understand biological characteristics of one bacteria strain named as VPG which was isolated from multiple organs of a dead captive giant panda cub. Here, we use biochemical tests, 16S rRNA and gyrB genes for bacterial identification, the disk diffusion method for antibiotic resistance phenotype, smart chip real-time PCR for the antibiotic resistance genotype, multiplex PCR for determination of virulence genes, and the acute toxicity test in mice for testing the pathogenicity of isolates. The isolate was identified as A. veronii strain based on the biochemical properties and genetic analysis. We found that the strain carried 31 antibiotic resistance genes, revealed antimicrobial resistance phenotypically to several antibiotics including penicillin, ampicillin, oxacillin, amoxicillin, imipenem, and vancomycin, and carried virulence genes including aer, act, lip, exu, ser, luxs, and tapA. The main pathological changes in giant panda were congestion, necrotic lesions and a large number of bacteria in multiple organs. In addition, the LD50 in Kunming mice infected with strain VGP was 5.14 × 107 CFU/mL by intraperitoneal injection. Infection with strain VGP led to considerable histological lesions such as hemorrhage of internal organs, necrosis of lymphocytes and neurons in Kunming mice. Taken together, these results suggest that infection with strain VGP would be an important causes of death in this giant panda cub.
Rapid industrialization and urbanization have created a substantial urban-rural gradient for various pollutants. The Qinling Mountains are highly important in terms of biodiversity, providing habitat for giant pandas, which are endemic to China and are a widely recognized symbol for conservation. Whether polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure risks regarding in situ animal conservation zones are affected by environmental pollution or even enhanced by the mountain-trapping effect requires further research. Our group carried out a large-scale investigation on the area ranging from Xi'an to Hanzhong across the giant panda habitat in the Qinling Mountains by collecting atmosphere, soil, bamboo, and fecal samples from different sites over a two-year period. The total toxicity of atmospheric PAHs and the frequencies of soil PAHs above effect range low (ERL) values showed a decreasing trend from urban areas to the central mountains, suggesting a distance effect from the city. The proportions of total 5- and 6-ring PAHs in the atmosphere were higher in the central mountainous areas than in the urban areas, while this difference was reversed in the soil. Health risk assessments showed that the incremental lifetime carcinogenic risks (ILCR) of PAH exposure by bamboo ingestion ranged from 2.16 × 10⁻⁴ to 3.11 × 10⁻⁴, above the critical level of 10⁻⁴. Bamboo ingestion was the main driver of the PAH exposure risks. The concentration difference between bamboo and fecal samples provided a reference for the level of PAHs absorbed by the panda digestive system. Since the Qinling Mountains possess the highest density of giant pandas and provide habitats to many other endangered animal and plant species, we should not ignore the probability of health risks posed by PAHs. Monitoring the pollution level and reducing the atmospheric emissions of toxic pollutants are recommended actions. Further detailed research should also be implemented on pandas' health effects of contaminant exposure.
We report the first photographic evidence of Himalayan Brown Bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) presence in Lippa-Asrang Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) in Himachal Pradesh, India. Camera trapping was done for the first time in this remote WLS situated in the Kinnaur district. The camera trap was set off by the Himalayan Brown Bear at an altitude of 3287 m. Presence of Himalayan Brown Bear beyond known areas opens new avenues for the conservation of the species.
We started our study in late September with monthly visits to the area and we have collected 90 scats; 55 of them have been analyzed to date. To find the scats we asked the rangers where the bears or their scats have been seen and we went to the location either by foot or by horse. We identified 15 items in the scats that were mostly plant-based.
