Factors influencing bamboo intake of captive giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

Bamboo is the main food source of the giant panda. To increase bamboo intake in captive giant pandas, we studied factors affecting the bamboo intake. Fourteen healthy captive giant pandas in Dujiangyan Base of China Conservation and Research Center for The Giant Panda ("Dujiangyan Base" for short) were selected as research objects. A bamboo feeding experiment was conducted to study the effects of seasons, bamboo age, slope orientations where bamboo grows and felling-feeding time on bamboo intake of the giant panda. We found that the type of bamboo that captive giant pandas feed on was abundant in spring and summer, but relatively homogeneous in winter. With the increase of bamboo age, the intake of bamboo leaves decreased, while bamboo culms increased. The feed intake of 1-year-old bamboo leaves and 5-year-old bamboo culms reached the highest respectively. The slope orientation also affected the panda's bamboo intake, and the bamboo growing on sunny slopes or semi-sunny slopes was more favored by captive giant pandas. Moreover, the bamboo intake reached the highest when felling-feeding time was less than 24 h. In short, we confirmed that seasons, bamboo age, slope orientations and felling-feeding time were factors affecting bamboo intake for captive giant pandas. This study was expected to provide scientific guidance improving the feeding behavior management of captive giant pandas.