Giant Panda Physiology from Faeces: Sampling Strategies Optimised for a Different Kind of Question

Abstract

E ffective conservation management of endangered species requires a clear and up-to-date understanding of the population dynamics in the wild. This involves monitoring population size, sex ratio, age distribution and behavioural dispersal patterns. Faecal near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (FNIRS) is being developed for ecological monitoring of wildlife by asking questions about physiological status such as gender, reproductive state, disease and identity for these types of population surveys. Application of FNIRS in situ first requires that physiological characteristics are reflected in faecal matter and can be determined using spectroscopy, and second that these traits can be differentiated in minimally-processed samples. We are interested in the feasibility of FNIRS ecological monitoring specifically for endangered species that are otherwise difficult to track and or document. As such, we have focused on the flagship species of conservation, the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).