Giant Pandas Living In Zoos Could Be Suffering From 'Jet Lag'

Giant pandas living in captivity could be suffering from "jet lag" if their body clocks don't match their environments, scientists say. This could have a significant impact on the well-being and behaviour of the endangered species, according to a new study published Monday in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.

AP

What's happening to the pandas?

Living in environments unlike those they evolved for in the wild has implications for pandas' overall well-being, found the study's authors. Those living outside of their natural latitudinal ranges experience changes not only to the natural stimuli around them, such as seasonal weather, but also learn to respond to stimuli that are entirely man-made as a result of living in captivity.

The animals, like humans, have a circadian rhythm 每 an internal body clock that is regulated by cues from the environment and dictates when to do certain activities, like sleeping and eating.

But when the environmental cues do not match that of their natural habitat, the pandas may start behaving more erratically 每 which could negatively impact the already endangered species, according to a study published Monday in the Frontiers in Psychology journal.

"Animals, including humans, have evolved rhythms to synchronize their internal environment with the external environment," said lead study author Kristine Gandia, a PhD student at the University of Stirling in Scotland, in a news release.

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What did they find?

Daylight and temperature cues were found to have the largest impact on the pandas. Those housed in latitudes that matched natural conditions in China had general activity most closely reflecting behaviour in the wild, including three peaks of activity over 24 hours.

Adult pandas only displayed sexual behaviours during the daytime, which could be because it is easier to find mates in the wild during daylight hours. However, those living outside their natural latitudes were less active and showed different behaviours from those in matched latitudes.

Why pandas?

Giant pandas were chosen as the focus of the study partly because they live highly seasonal lives. Migrations occur in spring because the pandas eat a certain species of bamboo and go in search of new shoots. Spring is also mating season. Their treatment in captivity also lent itself well to the study, Gandia added.

"Pandas are very good animals to focus on," she said. "They are very popular in zoos, and there are a lot which have 'panda cams' (webcams from the animals' enclosures), so we can see how their behaviour changes across different latitudes."

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How did they study pandas?

A team of 13 observers, led by Gandia, monitored 11 giant pandas at six different zoos, all of which were born in captivity.

When and where was the study conducted?

The zoos have not been identified, but they were roughly split between the animals' natural latitudes and those outside that range. Those that matched were in latitudes equivalent to their natural habitat in China but could have been in other countries. The observers studied the pandas monthly for a year, taking regular readings to see how their behaviour changed.

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