Friday, January 2, 2009
Zoe - our new red panda
On August 15th, 2008 the Red Panda Species Survival Plan Committee met in Knoxville TN to discuss the upcoming year’s breeding recommendations. Every year these elected zoo professionals; including geneticists, studbook keepers, population managers, and animal keepers, get together to determine which pairings to make and which transfer need to occur to ensure a high degree of genetic diversity within the species captive population. There are currently 119 red pandas in captivity in North America. Of the 119, the SSP recommended the paring of seventy individuals. This year ZooMontana was selected to receive a female red panda to breed with our resident male.
As with most managed populations, pairings are prioritized to maintain or increase gene diversity through considerations of mean kinship, avoidance of inbreeding, and differences in sire and dam mean kinship. In addition to these genetic criteria, the SSP also considered factors such as social grouping needs, age, health, and reproductive status when making pairing and transfers. Based on all of these criteria, the committee felt that Zoe, a five year old red panda at the Chattanooga Zoo was the best fit for our male. This is ZooMontana’s first breeding pair of red panda. Since 2000, we have exhibited two males here at the zoo. With the passing of William this summer, the opportunity arose for us to receive a companion animal or a breeder. A few years ago the SSP recommended that we transfer our boys to the Miller Park Zoo in Illinois for breeding purposes. Unfortunately the Miller Park Zoo had complications with this transfer and the move was never completed.
Until last year, males were not successful first-time breeders after the age of 10, since Taylor was approaching this “retirement” age it was thought that he was not going to get the opportunity to rear any offspring. That was until last year at Utah’s Hogle Zoo where a successful pairing of a 12 year old male (first-time breeder) and a 7 year old female occurred. Some males in captivity have breed up to the age of 14; so long as they had successfully bred by the age of 9. Male and female red pandas are sexually mature by 14 months old; females are able to breed up to 12 years old.
Based on Taylor’s population genetics, he ranks number 2 out of 47 breed-able males. This means his genetics are rare and extremely valuable to the population. This value, termed the mean kinship value will fluctuate from year to year based on the number of births and deaths from the previous year. Zoe currently ranks 20th out of 46.
Zoe arrived in Mid-November and after a successful quarantine period will be introduced to Taylor shortly after the New Year. Look for her and Taylor at the end of our Asia Trail in 2009.
As with most managed populations, pairings are prioritized to maintain or increase gene diversity through considerations of mean kinship, avoidance of inbreeding, and differences in sire and dam mean kinship. In addition to these genetic criteria, the SSP also considered factors such as social grouping needs, age, health, and reproductive status when making pairing and transfers. Based on all of these criteria, the committee felt that Zoe, a five year old red panda at the Chattanooga Zoo was the best fit for our male. This is ZooMontana’s first breeding pair of red panda. Since 2000, we have exhibited two males here at the zoo. With the passing of William this summer, the opportunity arose for us to receive a companion animal or a breeder. A few years ago the SSP recommended that we transfer our boys to the Miller Park Zoo in Illinois for breeding purposes. Unfortunately the Miller Park Zoo had complications with this transfer and the move was never completed.
Until last year, males were not successful first-time breeders after the age of 10, since Taylor was approaching this “retirement” age it was thought that he was not going to get the opportunity to rear any offspring. That was until last year at Utah’s Hogle Zoo where a successful pairing of a 12 year old male (first-time breeder) and a 7 year old female occurred. Some males in captivity have breed up to the age of 14; so long as they had successfully bred by the age of 9. Male and female red pandas are sexually mature by 14 months old; females are able to breed up to 12 years old.
Based on Taylor’s population genetics, he ranks number 2 out of 47 breed-able males. This means his genetics are rare and extremely valuable to the population. This value, termed the mean kinship value will fluctuate from year to year based on the number of births and deaths from the previous year. Zoe currently ranks 20th out of 46.
Zoe arrived in Mid-November and after a successful quarantine period will be introduced to Taylor shortly after the New Year. Look for her and Taylor at the end of our Asia Trail in 2009.
# posted by ZooMontana @ 10:37 AM 
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