236 HAND-REARING

Supplemental feeding of maternally reared Red pandas Ailurus fuigens

KEVIN C O N W A Y Nationai Zoological Park, Conservation and Research Center, Front Royal, VA 22630, U S A

T h e first Red or Lesser panda Ailurusfulgens births a t the National Zoological Park’s Con- servation and Research Center (CRC) occurred on 11 and 17 June 1979. Each litter consisted of a d and a 0 cub, but the 0 of the second litter died at the age of four days.

Red panda young at N Z P are routinely weighed and measured on a weekly basis to establish growth patterns. As the cubs grew it became evident that the two dd were not gaining weight in relation to parameters estab- lished by Roberts & Kessler (1979), and a supplemental feeding was initiated in an attempt to steer them back to normal post-natal development. The 9 , however, never required supplemental feeding and grew at a linear rate thus serving as a control in determining the effect of the feedings on the dd.

HOUSING AND DIET The Red pandas at CRC are housed in oval corn crib cages measuring 6 1 x 3.66 x 4.5m high. The animals are provided with climbing facili- ties in the form of tree trunks and branches which also serve as nesting perches. Each enclosure contains one elevated and one ground level nestbox which are constructed of wood and measure 94 x 56 x 4 8 c m high, with a single 20-cm access hole. T h e top of the nestbox is hinged and secured by two eyehooks. Loose grass is used for litter.

The diet consists of bamboo, fruit and a gruel mixture. T h e pandas are fed twice a day, receiving bamboo and gruel in the morning, and bamboo, fruit and gruel (Table 1) in the late afternoon. Each animal receives approxi- mately 450 g gruel, 200 g fruit (per day) and bamboo ad libitum.

The litter born on 11 June was the first produced by a pair born at N Z P in 1977. T h e timing of the birth is consistent with the findings of Roberts (1975) regarding the onset of sexual maturity in this species. T h e second pair consisted of a two-year-old d and a

INGREDIENT AMOUNT

Gerber mixed cereal Pro-magic powdered

cottage cheese Beet pulp NZP Panda mineral mix NZP Panda vitamin mix Honey Soybean oil

Water Egg yolks

605 g

300 g 600 g

50 ml 40 ml

20 ml 13

0.21 litres

2.88 liaes

Table 1. Ingredients of gruel fed to Red pandas ..lilurus fulgens at CRC. The amounts listed normally feed 4.3 animals.

D:\Y LITTER I IJTTER 2

d P 4 140 1385

11 222 211 13 2567 2593 25 290 315

39 46 416 640 53 437 636 60 - - 67 567 817 74 7216 9195 81 8445 10305 88 1004 1109

32 368 4 1 0 - -

d 105 175 225 29 8 338 9 359 2 437

526 605 59 1 600 680.9

480

Table 2. Weight in grams of cubs during the first three months.

four-year-old p which had bred previously at N Z P but which had reared only one cub from each of these litters. Vocalisations from the p p were heard during late January and early February 1979 and copulation was observed on 11 February 1979. Gestation periods for the two litters were determined as being between 120 and 126 days; this concurs with those reported in the literature (Mottershead, 1958;

HAND-REARING 237

Crandall, 1964; Roberts, 1975; Roberts & Kessler, 1979).

As soon as a p gave birth the nestboxes were examined to determine the number of cubs and if they were alive, but they were not handled until day 4 at which time they were removed from the nestbox, sexed, visually examined and weighed on an OHAUS triple beam gram scale (Table 2).

One week after the cubs had first been weighed, measurements following the pattern established by Roberts (1975) were taken regularly. In addition to weight, records were made of total body length; tail, ear and hind foot length; dental eruption.

Vocalisations by the cubs were first heard when they were weighed four days after birth, and are best described as a high-pitched ‘wheet’ of short duration, a sound which has also been noted by Roberts (1975). The mother of the first litter appeared to be distressed by the calls and for the next six weeks she frequently carried the cubs between the upper and lower nestboxes. The cubs emitted the cries whenever they were carried.

At the age of three weeks, bare patches of skin were observed on the throats and necks of both cubs and after five weeks these became lacerated to the extent of needing medical treatment. Injuries to the necks of Red panda cubs caused by excessive carrying by the p have also been reported by Mottershead (1958)’ Erken & Jacobi (1972) and Freiheit (pers. comm.). From days 3 3 4 6 the lacer- ations were treated twice daily with gentocin and hydrogen peroxide. The treatment served a dual purpose: first, it cleaned the wounds, and secondly the unpleasant taste and odour of the medication discouraged the p from carrying the cubs. From day 46 until day 64 tincture of benzoin was applied once a day to the wounds; all medication was applied using cotton-tipped applicators. On day 64 the treatment was discontinued and the p rarely carried the cubs; by day 74 the wounds had healed completely.

While the cubs were receiving medical care, we maintained a careful watch on their weight. Concern that the medication might jeopardise nursing frequency proved justified in the case of the d and supplementary feeding was started ten days after treatment began. We attempted

to determine the reason for the 9’s excessive carrying behaviour and as we found that heavy traffic flow on roads adjacent to her enclosure appeared to be a contributing factor, these roads were closed. This elimination of disturbances agrees in part with the findings of Roberts (1975) that nursing p Q require iso- lation and a number of separate and secure nestboxes for the effective rearing of their young.

In the case of the second litter, the only external complication was that on the evening of day 75 the d parent attacked the cub as it ventured out of the nestbox. The p was also attacked repeatedly as she came to the cub’s rescue. The adult d was therefore removed from the cage the next morning and kept separated until the cub was moved to a nursery early in December.

SUPPLEMENTAL FEEDING The d in the first litter began receiving supple- ment on day 49 when its weight dropped 200 g below that of its sibling (Table 2). It appeared that while receiving medical treatment, the cub was losing the competition for milk during nursing. The weight loss, together with its injuries, almost led to the cub being removed for hand-rearing, but in view of the gentle nature of the pandas in captivity and the NZP policy of keeping the cubs with their parents if at all possible, it was decided to attempt supplemental feeding while the cub remained with its mother. The d of the second litter began to lose weight and require supplement at a much later stage than did the first cub (Table 3). It had developed normally throughout the second month and its mother had showed no tendency to carry it. As early as day 74 the cub was observed out of the upper nestbox exploring the branches, and it was on this day that the weight loss became apparent.

A determining factor in the choice of the method of administering the feed was the importance of weaning the cubs onto gruel as soon as possible, and the formula was therefore first presented in a plastic cup lid. The first cub readily accepted the liquid from the lid, but the second cub refused it. For this cub the alter- native method of offering the formula in a Nip-Pet Nipple Nurser was successful.

238 HAND-REARING

DAYs' FEEDING VOLL'ME (CC) TIMtS

OFFERED CONSUMED.

dl 49

54

58

59

61

123

127 147

d? 75 78

107

179 188

morning afternoon morning afternoon morning midday afternoon morning midday afternoon morning midda! afternoon morning afternoon afternoon discontinued

morning morning midday afternoon morning midday afternoon afternoon discontinued

5 3-5 7 4-7

10 7-10 10 6-10 9 7-9 9 5-9

10 6-10 10 8-1 0 10 8-10 10 8-10 12 10-12 12 10-12 15 13-1 5 12 11-12 15 0-1 5 1 5 0-1 5

9 9 12 9 12 10-12 15 10-15 15 12-15 15 10-15 20 15-20 20 15-10 20 20

* represents range of formula consumption ** represents benchmark days for number of feedings or total volume.

Table 3. Volume of supplement offered and con- sumed; feeding regime.

The amount of formula offered initially was based on experience gained at NZP u. Block, pers. comm.) where autopsies on hand-reared cubs all revealed blockage or stomach over- loading due to over-consumption. Similar fatalities have been encountered by Gray (1970). The formula was prepared daily to ensure freshness and consisted of 75% liquid Esbilac; 25% tap water; one drop Fer-in-Sol (iron supplement); one drop Poly-Vite (multi- vitamin supplement).

At first, to minimise disturbances while the technique was being established, the cubs were removed from the enclosure for feeding, but after the first few weeks, when this was no

longer necessary, it was found that the cubs consumed more when fed inside the enclosure. At the start, feeds were given twice daily in the early morning and late afternoon (Table 3) but once the cubs began consuming the total volume offered the amount was increased and an additional midday feed was given.

T h e amount of formula consumed by the cubs related directly to their growth rates. T h e Litter 1 d had its formula volume increased or decreased seven times. From day 49 (when it received its first supplement) to day 86 it was weighed twice a day; from day 86 to 147 weighing occurred once daily and thereafter once a week. It was first observed eating the gruel mixture, as well as bamboo, on day 97. By day 123 it was considered to be gaining weight at a sufficient rate for the midday feed to be eliminated. Between day 123 and day 147 it showed a progressively greater interest in solid food which led to the morning feed being dis- continued on day 127 with the supplement being stopped altogether 20 days later. During these final weeks, the cub spent the majority of its time exploring the enclosure, eating bamboo and gruel and soliciting play from its sibling and parents. This behaviour has been noted by Roberts (1975) for others of the species.

T h e Litter 2 cub had its ration increased or decreased five times. Its weight was recorded once daily from day 75 to day 100, then for the next 16 days twice weekly and thereafter once a week. This animal's weight was consistently below the lowest growth parameters (N = 24) established by Roberts & Kessler (1979) and from the beginning of supplemental feeding its weight averaged 35% less than the other two. On day 107, therefore, it was decided to increase the amount offered to 50 cc daily. For the next 63 days the majority of formula offered was consumed and although the cub always remained below weight, a steady, if slow, weight gain was evident once supplemental feeding began (Fig. 1). By day 122 it was observed soliciting play from its mother and following her around the floor of the enclosure, and by day 144 it was spending longer periods outside the nestbox. T h e cub was first observed eating gruel on day 124 and sporadic but increased consumption of bamboo or gruel were recorded from that day on. By day 170

HAND-REARING 239

weight (kg)

0

2.51 I 2.0

1.5 1 1.0-

0.5-

I I

I I

I

I , I I I I I I I 1 I 1 I l l 1 1 I I I I I I I

1 5 10 15 20 25 weeks

Fig. 1. Weight gain of Red panda cubs Ailurus fulgens. The 0 cub, which received no supplementary feeding, often exceeded the upper limits of the parameters established for growth by Roberts & Kessler (1979). a. supplementary feeds begun; b. supplementary feeds discontinued; c. midday feed discontinued.

sufficient weight gain was recorded for the midday feed to be eliminated; nine days later the morning feed was also stopped. From day 179 to day 188 less interest in the formula was shown and bamboo and gruel was consumed daily. Supplementary feeding was completely discontinued on day 180. On day 199 both the first litter cubs were removed from their enclosures and placed in a nursery, along with the cub from the second litter.

D I S G U S S I O N Based on our experiences it has become evident that modifications to the panda enclosures could enhance maternal care; these include: 1. relocating the breeding pairs to an area as far from roads as possible so as to reduce traffic- related stress; 2 . installing a second elevated nestbox in each cage, bringing the total number per cage to

three. This ensures that a p moving her young has an adequate supply of nestboxes; 3. installing diagonal logs running from the upper branches to the enclosure floor so that the p will not have to carry cubs vertically from the cage floor to the upper branches; 4. eliminating gaps between elevated nestboxes and branches to reduce jumping by the p as she carries the young.

The procedure described in this paper demonstrates an additional option to zoologi- cal institutions in their continued search for the best way to breed multiple generation Red pandas in captivity. As hand-rearing pandas has met with mixed results, it appears that all efforts should be put into keeping the mother and young together, even if there may be some medical complications, such as those experi- enced by us at CRC, or those experienced by Knoxville Zoo in 1979 when a nursing p was treated for an eye infection on numerous occasions, and yet returned to her cubs after each treatment; she continued to produce sufficient quantities of milk throughout (Parker, pers. comm.).

Red panda p p do not usually wean their cubs until they are six months old. It is therefore important to make use of supple- mental feeding in maternally reared young in order to ensure normal weaning through parent/offspring and sibling interaction.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the following people for their help and advice during the preparation of this manuscript: Larry Collins, Miles Roberts, Judith Block, Tom Schneider, Frank Kohn, Lis Glassco and Rebecca Conway.

PRODUCTS M E N T I O N E D IN T H t T E X T ABDEC: infant vitamin drops, manufactured by Parke- Davis, Detroit, MI 43232, USA. Esbilac: (liquid) milk replacement, manufactured by Borden Chemical, Borden Inc., PO Box 419, Norfolk, VA 23501,USA. Fer-in-Sol: iron supplement, manufactured by Meade Johnson Labs, a division of Meade Johnson and Co., Evansville, IN47721, USA. Gentocin: ophthalmic ointment, manufactured by Schering Corp., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA. Gerbers mixed cereal: manufactured by Gerber Products Co., Fremont, MI49412, USA. Nip-Pet Nurser: manufactured by Poly Nurser Products Corp., 5221 Ave., N., Brooklyn, NY 11234,USA.

240 HAND-REARING

OHAUS Scales: OHAUS Scale Co., Florham Park, NJ 07932. USA. Poly-Vite: Fluoride drops, manufactured by Wolins Pharmacal Corp., Melville, NY 11746, USA. Pro-Magic powdered cottage cheese: manufactured by American Nutritional Labs, Elbow Lab, Burlington, NJ

Tincture of Benzoin: medicated spray, manufactured by Schuco, a division of American Caduceus Industries Inc., Williston Park, NJ 11596, US.4.

08106, USA.

REFERENCES CRAND41.1.. I , s (1964): The managPmentafmld mammals in captiviry. 2nd ed. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

EXKEN. 4 H . & JACOBI, E. F. (1972): Successful breeding of the lesser panda and loss through inoculation. Bijdr. Tierk.

G R ~ Y . B J ( 1 970): Care and development of a hand-reared red panda Ailurusfulgens. Inr. Zoo Yb. 10: 139-142. MOTTERSHEAD. G . s. (1958): The lesser panda in the Chester Zoological Gardens. Zool. Garr.. Lpz. 27: 300-302. ROBERTS. M. s. (1975): Growth and development of mother- reared red pandas Ailurus fulgens. Int. Zoo Yb. 15: 57-63. ROHERTS, M s & KESSLER. 11. s. (1979): Reproduction in red pandas Ailrus fulgens (Carnivora: Ailuropodidae). 3. Zool., Lond. 188: 235-249.

42: 93-95.

Manuscript submitted 24 April 1980

Hand-rearing the Little spotted cat or Oncilla Felis tigrinus

P A T Q U I L L E N Society of Scientific Care, Inc., POB 7535, San Diego, California 92107, USA

For some years this Society has kept a breeding group of Leopard cats Felix bengulensis which originated with animals which came into our possession as adults after rejection by private owners, pet dealers and, occasionally, zoos which had found them to be too easily stressed to be suitable for public exhibition. Almost without exception the animals arrived as singletons and with a variety of health prob- lems, but once restored to good condition, they were paired and incorporated into the breeding programme. To ensure that the young became used to human contact and were there- fore less nervous than their parents, they were taken from their mothers at approximately two weeks of age and bottle-fed. It was sometimes necessary to remove kittens for hand-rearing immediately after birth, but occasionally a 9, which had appeared to be without milk, began to lactate some 24-48 hours later and we were able to return the kitten to her with complete success.

We found fewer problems in breeding from the hand-reared 9 9 than from the wild-born adults and even those which had been hand- reared from birth were competent, indeed, often superior mothers; they were undisturbed by the presence of observers at parturition and

later allowed their young to be handled and examined on a regular basis.

In view of our repeated success with Leopard cat young, we offered our help to M r and Mrs Treanor of Mobile, Alabama, whose pair of Little spotted cats or Oncilla Felis tigrinus regularly produced kittens but failed to rear them. T h e p produced no milk and despite considerable efforts on the owners’ part the five kittens born between late 1973 and late 1975 had all died within the first ten days of life.

Before the next birth plans were made for the initial care and transport of the young and when another kitten, a 9 born at 0712 hours on 16 April 1976, was rejected by its mother the pre- arranged schedule was put into effect.

A four-hourly feeding schedule was begun immediately the kitten was removed. Also, as it was thought unlikely that adequate (if any) colostrum had been consumed, 3 cc of serum (obtained from 10 cc of blood taken from the mother nine hours after delivery) was adminis- tered to the kitten subcutaneously. During the journey to California the kitten was kept warm by a hot water bottle, wrapped in a cloth and the temperature was carefully monitored.

T h e kitten was offered Esbilac and distilled water in the ratio 1:3. It readily consumed