Understanding circadian and circannual behavioral cycles of captive Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) can help to promote good welfare

摘要: Simple Summary Circadian clocks are evolutionarily adaptive internal clocks that regulate cycles of activity, behavior, and physiological processes. In this study, we used the circadian (24 h) and circannual (across the year) rhythms of behavior of 13 zoo-housed giant pandas to understand their needs and assess welfare. We found that they show changes in the pattern and intensity of behavior cycles based on their life stage and sex. Their circadian activity patterns showed three peaks, like wild giant pandas, including a night-time peak. We found specific cycles of feeding anticipatory activity, sexual-related behavior, and stereotypical/abnormal behavior, which align with the timing of migration in wild giant pandas, and we therefore suggest that this may be how thwarted migration manifests itself in captivity. We also determined the cycles of maternal behaviors, including nursing, and proximity for a mother and cub, providing context to the development of a circadian rhythm in a cub and information on the way a mammalian mother’s circadian rhythm is disrupted during nursing. Overall, our study provides a holistic, evidence-based method that can be applied across captive environments so that staff can better understand the needs of their species and appropriately provide for them, promoting positive welfare and increasing the likelihood of successful breeding and conservation. Abstract Circadian and circannual cycles of behavior regulate many aspects of welfare including metabolism, breeding, and behavioral interactions. In this study, we aim to demonstrate how systematically determining circadian and …