tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/zoo-33079/articlesZoo – The Conversation2023-12-27T09:09:09Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2199892023-12-27T09:09:09Z2023-12-27T09:09:09ZWhich zoo animals are most active in winter and what times are best to see them?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566032/original/file-20231215-15-11mkge.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=29%2C67%2C4970%2C3261&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Amur tigers are evolved for winter weather</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/snowflakes-wild-cat-tiger-winter-nature-1231255066">Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The temperature has dropped, the nights have drawn in. The winter holidays have started, families are gathered – so where can you go to fuel the imagination and get some fresh air? A zoo might not be your first thought – but with some offering reduced ticket prices and smaller crowds than in summer, your nearest zoo on a cold, crisp winter’s day might be just the place.</p>
<p>We might think that their most popular animals, large mammals, are only active in summer, because that time of year suits us better. However, not all animals love sunshine and the hot days of summer. Some prefer cooler weather and are more active in colder temperatures. Here are ten animals to look out for on a winter visit to the zoo:</p>
<h2>1. Amur tiger</h2>
<p>In the wild, Amur tigers live in northern China and Russia so are used to the cold, making them more active during our winter months. These endangered animals are crepuscular (<a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jzo.12622?casa_token=TyJcM9gUMaMAAAAA%3AoVnzcHYYTEod9Eg8s_eQgr8XANC9hekc7rGkYultZ3ecCqRzAU469_oW_j5vaDEQeqqhyzBel4FY0mQ">active at dawn and dusk</a>), so I would head over to see them towards the end of your day at the zoo. There are currently 40 Amur tigers living in 17 UK zoos.</p>
<h2>2. Grey wolf</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3746/247624660">Native to</a> Eurasia, the US, Canada and Greenland, the grey wolf lives in many different habitats, including places where temperatures drop as low as -40°C. Grey wolves can communicate across up to ten miles using <a href="https://y86aca.p3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Spontaneoushowling.pdf">individually recognisable howls</a>. They also howl during the breeding season (February-March), so you might be lucky and hear them in the zoo during late winter or early spring.</p>
<h2>3. Bison</h2>
<p>In the wild, bison live in <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/2814/45156279">northern Europe and Russia</a> as well as in the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/2815/123789863">US and Canada</a>, so they cope well in UK winters. These animals <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00265-003-0599-y">will be foraging</a> for most of the day, and are likely to be out in all weathers.</p>
<h2>4. Red panda</h2>
<p>Wild red pandas live in the forests of the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/714/110023718">Himalayas and China</a>, between 2,500m and 4,800m above sea level. These endangered animals will be active around feeding time – check the zoo’s schedule so you can time your visit to watch them climb down from their treetop snooze spot.</p>
<h2>5. Red squirrel</h2>
<p>Native to the UK, these cute mammals are already used to British winter conditions. There are still places where you can see them in the wild, such as the Isle of Wight and Scottish woodlands. But their numbers have <a href="https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/43424/1/1450935_Fingland.pdf">been in decline</a> since grey squirrels from the US were introduced in the 19th century. Some zoos in the UK are part of a <a href="https://www.dudleyzoo.org.uk/red-squirrel-success/">captive breeding</a> and release programme, working to restore their numbers in the wild.</p>
<h2>6. Polar bear</h2>
<p>It won’t come as a surprise that this much-loved winter animal is on our list – and you should see playful polar bears swimming and splashing around in their pools a lot more in winter. Four UK zoos house them: Peak Wildlife Park near Stoke-on-Trent, Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster, Highland Wildlife Park in Cairngorms National Park, and Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park in Ipswich.</p>
<h2>7. Snow leopard</h2>
<p>The name gives this one away as another big cat that likes the cold. Snow leopards live in the rugged mountains of central Asia. They are <a href="https://snowleopardconservancy.org/pdf/Jackson%20PhD%20thesis%20+%20photo.pdf">quite elusive</a> so spotting them, even in zoos in the winter, may be a challenge. However, if you aim for late afternoon, you’re more likely to be rewarded.</p>
<h2>8. Penguin</h2>
<p>A lot of penguins found in UK zoos are not from the freezing Antarctic. African and Humboldt penguins, for example, are from much warmer regions of the southern hemisphere. But that doesn’t stop them wanting to engage with zoo visitors through the windows while swimming in winter – just like those from colder climates, such as the gentoo penguins shown here at Belfast Zoo.</p>
<h2>9. Reindeer</h2>
<p>The reindeer you see at the zoo may be getting some rest before they make their estimated <a href="https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/christmas/santas-reindeer-would-have-to-travel-a-distance-of-over-41-million-miles-to-deliver-presents-238014">31-hour journey of 41 million miles</a> to deliver all the presents on Christmas Eve. Males shed their antlers in autumn and winter, while females keep theirs until spring – meaning that Santa’s sleigh is probably pulled by female reindeer.</p>
<h2>10. Reptile house (to defrost)</h2>
<p>There is nothing better than a reptile house or aquarium to help you defrost after being outside. The animals housed here need warm conditions to survive, so the whole area normally feels warm. They will also be more peaceful places given the lower zoo visitor numbers at this time of year, so you can take your time looking at these fascinating animals.</p>
<p>You may be wondering how animals from warmer climates cope with British winters. Zoos should always be conscious of animal welfare and this includes providing heated indoor areas. The best way for zoos to maintain high animal welfare is to let the animals decide where they want to go. Inside with protection from the weather, or outside in the fresh cold air – the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/6/318">choice should be theirs</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219989/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samantha Ward does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Not all animals retreat to their shelters in cold weather.Samantha Ward, Associate Professor of Zoo Animal Welfare, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2115402023-08-17T10:03:18Z2023-08-17T10:03:18ZSun bears appear so human-like they are mistaken for people in suits – experts explain<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542586/original/file-20230814-15-dgdpra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C0%2C5973%2C3988&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cute-sun-bear-1177668121">imrankadir/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When Angela, a Malayan sun bear, stood up and waved to visitors to her enclosure at the Huangzhou Zoo in China on July 27, she became a social media sensation. Her build, posture and seemingly friendly gesture seemed so human that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/31/chinese-zoo-denies-sun-bears-humans-costumes">people speculated</a> that she was actually a costumed performer. The talk gathered so much momentum, the zoo had to deny the claims. But that just goes to show how little people know about these fascinating animals. </p>
<p>Angela is an authentic bear, well known for <a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/wXvxcjazgJW7UagN6OJsAw">her antics at the zoo</a>.</p>
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<p>Grizzlies and polar bears are huge, standing 2.5 metres tall and weighing 400-700kg. But not all bear species are so big. Angela’s dainty 1.3m, 50kg stature is typical for a sun bear. Sun bears often stand upright and mothers will even walk around <a href="http://khmerization.blogspot.com/2008/06/perth-zoo-unveils-australias-first-sun.html">cradling their babies</a> in their arms. The Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire, UK, recently posted a video of one of its <a href="https://www.news18.com/viral/uk-zoos-new-video-might-prove-sun-bears-are-actually-real-8510665.html">sun bears, Kyra</a>, standing upright.</p>
<p>Bears generally carry some extra fat and tropical sun bears don’t have the thick fur of their cold climate cousins. So poor Angela’s skin folds are there for all to see as she suffers some “pants sag”.</p>
<h2>What about the waving?</h2>
<p>Only animals that evolved climbing ability, like bears, raccoons, primates and some of the cat family, can turn their palms upwards and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brent-Adrian/publication/352423498_The_functional_and_comparative_anatomy_of_the_forelimb_muscles_in_the_sun_bear_Helarctos_malayanus/links/60dde91892851ca9449eaad2/The-functional-and-comparative-anatomy-of-the-forelimb-muscles-in-the-sun-bear-Helarctos-malayanus.pdf">move their forearms side-to-side</a>. This allows them to grab hold of trees. Animals that evolved to run long distances, like deer, wolves and horses, can’t do this. </p>
<p>Think about your pet dog giving its paw. The motion is quite different to a wave. Sun bears are the strongest climbers in the bear family, and so, in some sense, Angela is waving <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael-Granatosky/publication/344595755_Bear_Locomotion/links/5f830c3b299bf1b53e1e0d4b/Bear-Locomotion.pdf">because she can</a>. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542591/original/file-20230814-29-4m3vtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Sun bear resting in the crook of a tree." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542591/original/file-20230814-29-4m3vtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542591/original/file-20230814-29-4m3vtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542591/original/file-20230814-29-4m3vtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542591/original/file-20230814-29-4m3vtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542591/original/file-20230814-29-4m3vtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542591/original/file-20230814-29-4m3vtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542591/original/file-20230814-29-4m3vtr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Sun bears make excellent climbers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/malayan-sun-bear-resting-on-tree-601256159">Lillian Tveit/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>As for her motivation, if she was frightened, she’d probably run away from the crowds and hide in her indoor space. Although sun bears do stand up and display their creamy orange chest patches when they feel threatened, she sees humans every day. We think that most probably she simply wants to stand up and clearly occupy her territory when faced with visitors, a bit like we might stand on our front step when strangers call on us. </p>
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<p>Standing up also allows sun bears to smell over longer distances. Although solitary in the wild, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-39932-6">sun bears are good communicators</a> when housed in groups and are the only animals other than humans and gorillas that can mimic each other’s facial expressions for social appeasement. It is possible Angela was mimicking the visitors waving at her. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, we probably shouldn’t credit Angela with human-like motivations for waving. Sun bears use their paws a lot for <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/sun-bear-4694342">finding food in the wild</a>, such as fruits, ants, beetles, termites and even honey. Standing on their back legs frees up their front legs to rip, poke and prod until they’ve got their dinner. They also have a 30cm long tongue that helps them lick up their food. Most likely then, Angela was just making a gesture of displaced curiosity, like a cat pawing at an image on a TV screen, while defending her enclosure.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542587/original/file-20230814-20-dt4446.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Sun bear sitting on rock with long pink tongue hanging out" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542587/original/file-20230814-20-dt4446.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542587/original/file-20230814-20-dt4446.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542587/original/file-20230814-20-dt4446.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542587/original/file-20230814-20-dt4446.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542587/original/file-20230814-20-dt4446.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542587/original/file-20230814-20-dt4446.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542587/original/file-20230814-20-dt4446.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Sun bears have long tongues.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/behavior-malayan-sun-bear-654568906">Yatra4289/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>A teaching moment</h2>
<p>Since Angela appeared on the Chinese blogging site Weibo, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/01/human-costume-sun-bear-draws-crowds-chinese-zoo">visitor numbers are up</a> by 30% at the Huangzhou zoo and millions have taken an interest internationally. While this story is cute, there’s a serious side. Sun bears, properly known as <em>Helarctos malayanus</em>, are listed as “vulnerable” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/9760/123798233">red list of threatened species</a>. This means sun bears urgently need protection. </p>
<p>Six out of the world’s eight bear species are <a href="https://www.iucn.org/content/seventy-five-percent-bear-species-threatened-extinction">threatened with extinction</a>. South China is part of the natural range of sun bears but very few are left in the wild in China. The majority of the remaining wild sun bear population lives in Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. </p>
<p>Sun bears can live over 20 years but are slow to mature. Mothers <a href="https://bioone.org/journals/ursus/volume-20/issue-2/09SC001.1/Maternal-care-and-cub-development-in-the-sun-bear/10.2192/09SC001.1.short">invest a lot of care</a> into raising their one or two cubs and don’t get pregnant again until their cubs become independent, at around three years old. It’s why <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3808082">males of most bear species</a> often try to kill a female’s cub, to cause her to become receptive to mating. She won’t engage if she has cubs. </p>
<p>Like all Asian bear species, sun bears are <a href="https://policycommons.net/artifacts/1935597/brought-to-bear/2687367/">poached for bile</a> from their gall bladders, which is used in traditional medicine. They are also killed for their paws, which are eaten as an expensive delicacy. International trade in these bear parts is banned under the <a href="https://cites.org/eng/disc/text.php">Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species</a> (Cites) but enforcement is inadequate.</p>
<p>China is working to improve wildlife protection with <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0246081">stricter laws</a> and by designating more <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389934123001284?casa_token=ycJENsliGegAAAAA:Qri6rWaZI3D6LJtBWNYUoyKo8mFOsq1-KcUPZXF59oWaRH31-mGzz3ROUSgeKjPRcyVhKJ01-lw">national parks</a>. </p>
<p>Zoos worldwide are also playing an important role in educating the public about conservation. For many years, China has focused its efforts on protecting the giant panda. Panda conservation is driven by the iconic status of pandas both in China and abroad. But thanks to Angela, another bear species is now sharing the attention.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211540/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>People refuse to believe the videos of sun bears at Huangzhou zoo are real bears .Chris Newman, Research Associate, University of OxfordChristina Buesching, Professor of Zoology, University of British ColumbiaDingzhen Liu, Professor of Zoo Animal Behaviour, Beijing Normal UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1663972021-11-23T13:30:30Z2021-11-23T13:30:30ZScientist at work: Endangered ocelots and their genetic diversity may benefit from artificial insemination<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432290/original/file-20211116-25-1e4gv3m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1384%2C1010%2C3607%2C2267&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Wild ocelots hunt alone at night.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/ocelot-is-hunting-at-night-at-the-san-francisco-ranch-in-news-photo/1219080513">Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The female ocelot lay anesthetized on the exam table, behind the scenes at the Albuquerque Biopark Zoo. As a veterinarian on the team preparing to artificially inseminate this animal, my palms were sweating at the thought of missing a step, dropping the sperm sample, or finding out our sample did not survive freezing. Any of these possibilities would end the procedure.</p>
<p>It was the first time anyone was trying to produce a pregnancy in a zoo-born female ocelot using sperm recovered from a deceased wild male ocelot. If the July 2021 operation worked, it would give his genes a way to live on past his death. This procedure was an important step in efforts to conserve endangered cat species so they can persist into the future.</p>
<p>Ocelots are medium-sized felines weighing around 20 to 30 pounds (9 to 13 kilograms) with sleek spotted coats. Their diet consists of small mammals, rodents, amphibians, reptiles and birds. Ocelots are primarily solitary cats, most active in the evening from dusk to dawn.</p>
<p>While people manage zoo-housed ocelots’ reproduction to maintain genetic diversity, it’s a different story for their wild relatives. There are <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T11509A50653476.en">currently only 50 to 80 ocelots</a> (<em>Leopardus pardalis</em>) known to exist in the wild in the U.S., and that population is too small to be sustainable long term. <a href="https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/4474">These endangered animals</a> face ongoing threats of habitat loss and fragmentation, and vehicle strikes. And because of their diminished numbers, they are at risk of inbreeding. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="street sign warning of ocelot crossing" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432291/original/file-20211116-17-y7xeen.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">With so few individuals left in the wild in the U.S., each ocelot hit by a car could affect the species’ survival.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/ocelot-crossing-road-sign-royalty-free-image/855966216">kzubrycki/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span>
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<p>Over the past 25 years, scientists at the <a href="http://cincinnatizoo.org/conservation/crew/">Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife</a>, or CREW, led by veterinarian Bill Swanson, have been working on technologies that may eventually help add some more genetic diversity to the wild ocelot population. They’ve <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/rda.12069">developed and refined techniques</a> for sperm collection, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1530/jrf.0.1060087">frozen storage</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod.112.105353">artificial insemination of ocelots</a> and other endangered cat species.</p>
<p>These innovations have played a key role in sustaining the genetic diversity of cat populations within zoos. Now, we’re trying to go a step further and apply these techniques in wild ocelots.</p>
<p>By creating gene flow among zoo-based ocelots and wild ocelots in different regions, we can increase the genetic diversity of both populations. With wild ocelots, we hope to combat their declining ability to produce offspring, fight infection and maintain adequate numbers in the wild for conservation of the species in the U.S.</p>
<h2>Salvaging sperm to increase diversity</h2>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=JyYbknYAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">As a recently graduated veterinarian</a>, I joined my mentor, Debra Miller, at the University of Tennessee’s Comparative and Experimental Medicine Department and in her work at UT’s Center for Wildlife Health. From there, my interests in wildlife conservation led me to this multi-institutional collaboration focusing on the conservation of wild Texas ocelots.</p>
<p>This project relies on the routine collection and freezing of semen from wild ocelots in the field – usually living animals, but sometimes ones that have been found dead. Our semen stockpile lets us preserve genetic material even if these cats are killed by disease, natural disasters or road collisions.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="tanks containing many frozen animal semen samples" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430877/original/file-20211108-19-fkek42.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The CREW CryoBioBank at the Cincinnati Zoo currently holds over 20,000 total semen samples from 82 animal species ranging from elephants to salamanders – including 30 cat species/subspecies – at temperatures of -320 F (-196 C) in liquid nitrogen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tom Uhlman</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For the artificial insemination procedure this past summer, the sperm donor was <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/ocelot/">a Texas ocelot</a> that died after being hit by a car. While this male’s death was a tragedy, there is a chance his genes may live on in future offspring thanks to the quick report of his death and the retrieval, shipping and processing of his gonads.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Placing cryovial of animal semen in a storage tank" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=708&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=708&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=708&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=890&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=890&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430875/original/file-20211108-21-1kd1vi0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=890&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Thirteen 0.25-milliliter semen straws are in each goblet tube within the canisters inside the frozen storage tank.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tom Uhlman</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Back at CREW in Cincinnati, Bill Swanson worked to recover the cat’s sperm for future artificial insemination procedures. He froze 20 plastic straws, each containing about 8 million viable sperm. In addition to this deceased male, I have collected and cryopreserved semen from several living wild males for future use. </p>
<p>By testing thawed semen, our team has found that many of these sperm samples were capable of fertilizing cat eggs in vitro. The next step is figuring out whether the frozen wild ocelot semen really can produce kittens via artificial insemination. So Swanson packed up three frozen straws to ship to Albuquerque in a liquid nitrogen dry shipper tank to make sure they remain at -320 F (-196 C) throughout the journey.</p>
<h2>After the thaw, hoping for kittens</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.1010">Ocelots are induced ovulators</a>, meaning <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2006.03.011">a female must mate in order to release an egg</a> into her reproductive tract. The female we were working with was treated with hormones to help her ovulate at the proper time relative to the insemination procedure. The relief was overwhelming when we confirmed, by laparoscopically looking at the surface of the ovary, that the female had ovulated multiple eggs. </p>
<p>After thawing the semen straws, my excitement began to increase because we could see the deceased ocelot’s sperm swimming rapidly across a slide under the microscope. The sperm had survived the freezing and thawing process and was still in great shape.</p>
<p>I took multiple deep breaths to steady my hands as my smile spread from ear to ear. Bill Swanson positioned the insemination needle within each oviduct, I injected the sperm into both sides of the female’s reproductive tract, and the procedure was complete. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, although the female responded well to the ovulation synchronization protocol, and the artificial insemination procedure was performed without a hitch, she did not conceive. That’s not an uncommon outcome when <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4320(00)00099-3">using frozen semen</a>.</p>
<p>However, we are optimistic that future procedures – using semen samples from this specific male and other frozen samples from living, wild ocelots – will successfully produce pregnancies. By the end of 2021, we plan to conduct two additional artificial insemination procedures with zoo-managed ocelots, followed by three or four more in 2022.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="leashed ocelot stands atop cryo tanks" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=772&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=772&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=772&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=970&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=970&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431082/original/file-20211109-27-zdrke4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=970&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sihil the ocelot began life as a frozen embryo in one of these liquid nitrogen cold storage tanks. Kittens born via artificial insemination will be the next step.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tom Uhlman</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If any of these artificial insemination procedures result in the birth of offspring, it will be the first time kittens have been produced with frozen semen from a wild ocelot. They’ll add greater diversity to the ocelot population managed in North American zoos, while improving our understanding of possibilities for increasing genetic diversity within wild ocelot populations. This success would help demonstrate the feasibility of producing kittens using frozen semen from the endangered Texas ocelot population.</p>
<p>Further refinement of the knowledge and techniques to create genetic exchange between wild and zoo-managed ocelot populations or among wild ocelot populations living in fragmented habitats will help ensure that these animals survive into the future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/166397/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ashley Reeves is a PhD student within the University of Tennessee Comparative and Experimental Medicine Department and The Center for Wildlife Health. She receives funding from The University of Tennessee and The East Foundation. </span></em></p>There are so few wild ocelots in the US that the cats are becoming inbred, with a bad prognosis for their ultimate survival. But researchers are perfecting ways to get new genes into the population.Ashley Reeves, DVM, PhD Candidate in Comparative and Experimental Medicine, University of TennesseeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/866682017-11-13T23:16:07Z2017-11-13T23:16:07ZScience in the home boosts children’s academic success<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194201/original/file-20171110-29364-495xvn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Research shows that when parents engage in simple science projects with their kids at home, it boosts their learning in school. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Did you know that children spend just 14 per cent of their waking time between Kindergarten and the end of Grade 12 in school? </p>
<p>Given this startling statistic, it comes as no surprise that much of children’s learning happens “out there” — in the playground, during extracurricular activities, at a museum, on a walk, via the media, and, perhaps most importantly, at home.</p>
<p>I am the director of the Education Community Outreach Centre at Queen’s University and coordinator of Science Rendezvous Kingston. Science Rendezvous is Canada’s largest pop-up science, technology and engineering and mathematics (STEM) festival. I also develop mathematics content for two educational children’s programs, <em>The Prime Radicals</em> and <em>mathXplosion</em>. I have developed two provincial toolkits for parents about <a href="http://www.ontariodirectors.ca/parent_engagement-math/en/">inspiring children to learn, love</a> and <a href="http://www.mathpathontario.ca">choose math</a> and I am the “math talk” consultant for <em>MathStoryTime</em>.</p>
<p>I have worked for decades to engage parents because I believe that families and schools have much to learn from and share with each other. Schools have formal knowledge of teaching and learning, curriculum, assessment and evaluation. And parents know their children’s motivations, skills and interests.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194200/original/file-20171110-29358-1sjewqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194200/original/file-20171110-29358-1sjewqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194200/original/file-20171110-29358-1sjewqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194200/original/file-20171110-29358-1sjewqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=467&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194200/original/file-20171110-29358-1sjewqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194200/original/file-20171110-29358-1sjewqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194200/original/file-20171110-29358-1sjewqq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=587&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Science at home doesn’t need to be daunting. It can be as simple as planting seeds with a child, or helping them collect leaves and bugs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The research also shows that informal environments including the home — also called out-of-school-time [OST] settings — play an important role in promoting STEM learning. They do this by <a href="http://doi.org/10.1080/01443410903353302">sparking student interest</a> and <a href="https://www.nap.edu/catalog/12190/learning-science-in-informal-environments-people-places-and-pursuits">providing opportunities to broaden and deepen engagement in STEM content</a>.</p>
<h2>The benefits of science at home</h2>
<p>Empirical evidence clearly suggests that OST experiences <a href="http://doi.org/10.1080/09500690701494084">strengthen and enrich school STEM learning</a> by <a href="http://www.informalscience.org/sites/default/files/MakingScienceMatter.pdf">reinforcing scientific concepts and practices</a> introduced during the school day. These experiences can be in museums, after-school programs, science and technology centres, libraries, aquariums, zoos, botanical gardens and at the kitchen table.</p>
<p>OST experiences also promote an appreciation for, and interest in, the pursuit of STEM in school and in daily life. They help learners understand the daily relevance of science to their lives, the depth and breadth of science as a field of inquiry, and <a href="https://www.nap.edu/catalog/12614/surrounded-by-science-learning-science-in-informal-environments">what it might be like to choose to do science in the world</a>, either as a professional or a citizen scientist.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194202/original/file-20171110-29374-1ip24oi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194202/original/file-20171110-29374-1ip24oi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194202/original/file-20171110-29374-1ip24oi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194202/original/file-20171110-29374-1ip24oi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194202/original/file-20171110-29374-1ip24oi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194202/original/file-20171110-29374-1ip24oi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194202/original/file-20171110-29374-1ip24oi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is no surprise then, that informal science education researchers and educators are <a href="http://www.nsta.org/about/positions/parents.aspx">actively reaching out to parents</a>, asking them to <a href="http://www.letstalkscience.ca/About-Us/Research-and-Publications">enthusiastically encourage and support</a> children’s science learning at home, in school, and through their communities.</p>
<h2>Any parent can be a STEM mentor</h2>
<p>Parents are their children’s first and most important teachers. Their values, beliefs and actions have <a href="http://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009048817385">enormous influence on their child’s educational decision-making and achievement</a>. When parents convey an interest and excitement for STEM subjects, children <a href="http://doi.org/10.1177/0042085905274540">benefit attitudinally and academically</a>. </p>
<p>When parents make it clear that they value STEM subjects and believe it is important to study them, they positively influence the way their child views these subjects and <a href="http://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615592630">support their child’s academic success in those areas</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194203/original/file-20171110-29328-18urtq5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194203/original/file-20171110-29328-18urtq5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194203/original/file-20171110-29328-18urtq5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194203/original/file-20171110-29328-18urtq5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194203/original/file-20171110-29328-18urtq5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194203/original/file-20171110-29328-18urtq5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194203/original/file-20171110-29328-18urtq5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A mother supporting her daughter at Science Rendezvous Kingston 2017.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Garrett Elliott)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Informal STEM learning at home is about parents and children exploring science in fun, hands-on ways outside of class. Brief, high-quality parent-child interactions about STEM can make a profound difference to how children perceive STEM subjects and succeed in them academically. </p>
<p>One study, for example, showed that when caregivers used a mobile app to bring a little bit of math into the home, <a href="http://doi.org/10.1126/science.aac7427">their elementary school children showed improved math skills within months</a>. Improvements were most dramatic in families where the caregivers reported themselves to be anxious about math.</p>
<h2>Books and leaves and bugs</h2>
<p>When parents actively participate in kitchen-sink experiments, they become STEM mentors. When parents become partners by contributing specimens to a child’s leaf or bug collection and then go a step farther by helping their child to categorize those treasures with the help of an illustrated website, they are modelling what scientists do. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194205/original/file-20171110-29328-1r52ubx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194205/original/file-20171110-29328-1r52ubx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194205/original/file-20171110-29328-1r52ubx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194205/original/file-20171110-29328-1r52ubx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194205/original/file-20171110-29328-1r52ubx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194205/original/file-20171110-29328-1r52ubx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/194205/original/file-20171110-29328-1r52ubx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When parents curl up with their children to read a science book together, such as <em>The Way Things Work</em> by David Macaulay, and then dig out the can opener to take a closer look, they are modelling learning. </p>
<p>When families watch age-appropriate television together — like <a href="http://pbskids.org/sid/">Sid the Science Kid</a>, <a href="https://projectmc2.mgae.com/">Project Mc²</a> or <a href="http://www.pbs.org/show/nova/">NOVA</a> — parents are encouraging connections among STEM topics, everyday life, career possibilities and scientific literacy through their attitudes and actions.</p>
<p>Here are two very simple experiments that can be done at home, using everyday household items.</p>
<h2><em>Experiment 1: Rolling, Rolling, Rolling</em></h2>
<p><strong>You will need</strong>: An empty soda can, an inflated balloon and one head of hair.</p>
<p><strong>Directions</strong>: Place the can on its side on a flat surface (a table or a smooth floor will do). Then rub the balloon back and forth through your hair. Hold the balloon close to the can without actually touching the can.</p>
<p>You should see the can roll towards the balloon without touching it!</p>
<p><strong>Why does it work?</strong> When you rub the balloon through your hair, tiny, invisible particles called electrons (which have a negative charge) build up on the surface of the balloon, creating static electricity. They electrons have the power to pull very light objects (like the soda can) towards them.</p>
<h2><em>Experiment 2: Blowing up a balloon without blowing</em></h2>
<p><strong>You will need</strong>: A balloon, about 40 ml of water (a cup is about 250 ml so you don’t need much), a soft drink bottle, a drinking straw, the juice from a lemon (or two tablespoons of vinegar) and three teaspoons of baking soda.</p>
<p><strong>Directions</strong>: Stretch out the balloon. Pour 40 ml of water into the soft drink bottle. Add the baking soda, stirring with the straw until it is dissolved. Pour the lemon juice (or vinegar) in and quickly put the stretched balloon over the mouth of the bottle.</p>
<p>If all goes well then your balloon should inflate!</p>
<p><strong>Why does it work?</strong> Adding the lemon juice to the baking soda creates a chemical reaction. The baking soda is a base, while the lemon juice is an acid, when the two combine they create carbon dioxide gas (CO₂). The gas rises and travels up through the neck of soft drink bottle, where it is trapped inside the balloon and blows it up.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/86668/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lynda Colgan receives funding from SSHRC, NSERC PromoScience, CODE and Ministry of Education for the Province of Ontario.</span></em></p>From collecting bugs to using math apps, there are many ways parents can engage in STEM activities with their kids to support their learning.Lynda Colgan, Professor of Elementary Mathematics, Queen's University, OntarioLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/738732017-10-17T08:44:53Z2017-10-17T08:44:53ZHow to behave at a zoo – according to science<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190400/original/file-20171016-30993-lfej22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">What are you staring at?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success?src=3-AIwJcAhQEC1V2JH4Se4g-1-20">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>With October half-term approaching, millions around the world will head to their local zoo to indulge in the Halloween activities and get a little fresh autumnal air in the presence of some extraordinary animals. At this time of year, the animals are still wonderfully active and there’s plenty to see and do. But there are certain things you should be doing as a visitor to ensure that the animals are able to act as naturally as possible within their environments.</p>
<p>With advances in zoo enclosure design, there are now more opportunities for you to get up close and personal with the more exciting animals, with walk-through exhibits and animal feeding sessions. In zoos, animal welfare research is carried out frequently to ensure the animals’ lives in captivity are at their best – and we now understand the impacts that human-animal interactions have on the animals housed in them. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26960022">Research</a> has shown that zoo animals are able to tell the difference between unfamiliar (visitors) and familiar (keepers) people and that, in some cases, visitors can have a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233716003_Zoo_Animals_and_Their_Human_Audiences_What_is_the_Visitor_Effect">negative impact on them</a>. For example, increased visitor numbers have been associated with increased levels of aggression in mandrills, mangabeys, and cotton-top tamarins (monkeys), more time spent alert towards visitors in sika deer, gorillas and Soemmerring’s gazelle, less time visible to the public in jaguars, orang-utans and siamangs, and increased stress hormones (glucocorticoid concentrations) in spider monkeys, blackbuck and Mexican wolves. This can be managed by responsible zoos, but everyone must play their part.</p>
<p>Research has also shown us that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0140237">keeper-animal interactions</a> have a positive impact on the animals’ behaviour. This should always be kept in mind.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190444/original/file-20171016-31008-13pymgi.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190444/original/file-20171016-31008-13pymgi.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190444/original/file-20171016-31008-13pymgi.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190444/original/file-20171016-31008-13pymgi.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190444/original/file-20171016-31008-13pymgi.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190444/original/file-20171016-31008-13pymgi.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190444/original/file-20171016-31008-13pymgi.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Don’t crowd them out.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The following tips will help ensure that you don’t disturb the animals and have a negative impact on their behaviour.</p>
<h2>What you need to know</h2>
<p>There is growing evidence to show that <a href="http://escholarship.org/uc/item/46m4q10x#page-2">excessive noise levels</a> cause stress in animals and so when you are around the animals in their enclosures, try to be as quiet as possible.</p>
<p>Many animals, including great apes, such as gorillas and chimpanzees, are also extremely <a href="http://wkprc.eva.mpg.de/pdf/2012/Kano_F_Call_J_Tomonaga_M_2012.pdf">receptive to eye contact</a> as it is a form of communication between individuals within the social group. This may make them sit with their backs turned – and can make them less likely to engage with you. Try not to stare at the animals if they are facing you – and avoid shouting or banging the glass to get their attention. Respect the animal’s privacy and space.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190401/original/file-20171016-31008-11m4kjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190401/original/file-20171016-31008-11m4kjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190401/original/file-20171016-31008-11m4kjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190401/original/file-20171016-31008-11m4kjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190401/original/file-20171016-31008-11m4kjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190401/original/file-20171016-31008-11m4kjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190401/original/file-20171016-31008-11m4kjw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Primates may see eye contact as a threat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success?src=3-AIwJcAhQEC1V2JH4Se4g-1-20">Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>Animals in the wild are always more cautious when they have young. In zoos, baby animals are very popular, which encourages more visitors and heightened reactions from the crowds. Currently, there is no research investigating the impacts of visitors on the mother-infant relationship but it is crucial to respect the animals even more just in case there are negative implications. </p>
<p>The animals are likely used to their enclosure and the continuous stream of visitors surrounding it, so they might not notice you as an individual. But this does not mean that you should try to encourage them to do so by throwing food or other objects into the enclosure that have not been provided by the zoo keepers. These can cause the animals serious dietary problems. Zoo animals are on a carefully measured and specific diet and other food can be detrimental to their health and welfare.</p>
<h2>Safety first</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/pUbns/priced/hsg219.pdf">Health and safety in zoos</a> is paramount. The barriers and windows are there for both your and the animals’ protection. Zoos now use a variety of designs so that you can view the animals clearly and take good photos – but if you cannot, never scale the barriers or reach out to the animals and avoid placing children on or over fences. There are a surprisingly <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/30/man-killed-tiger-chinese-zoo-climbed-enclosure-avoid-paying/">high number of injuries, and worse</a>, due to this each year – zoo animals are never tame and should never be treated as such.</p>
<p>Good zoos create educational and engaging signage to educate you during your visit. The signs may be for health and safety reasons or to enable you to learn about the animals in front of you, their wild environment and their conservation status. Signage may also be there to tell you about particular animals who may be shy or nervous or to inform you of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0044680">research being undertaken</a>. Please pay attention to the signage – it will help ensure that you get the most out of your visit.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190402/original/file-20171016-30962-eg759y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190402/original/file-20171016-30962-eg759y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190402/original/file-20171016-30962-eg759y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190402/original/file-20171016-30962-eg759y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190402/original/file-20171016-30962-eg759y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190402/original/file-20171016-30962-eg759y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190402/original/file-20171016-30962-eg759y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Keep your snacks to yourself.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/426670690?src=mmkon9DjvttodmgKcwH_sA-1-45&size=medium_jpg">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Stick to these rules and you can be sure that your trip to the zoo will be beneficial to the animals, you and your family. Zoo animals are mostly now all captive bred and so are used to being housed in their enclosures and being provided for by their keepers. It is your job as a visitor to respect this, the animals and their homes to ensure that your own behaviour does not negatively affect the animals living there on your visit.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/73873/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Samantha Ward does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The animals can see you as a threat, so make them feel at home.Samantha Ward, Lecturer Zoo Animal Biology, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/785332017-06-14T20:08:00Z2017-06-14T20:08:00ZZoos aren’t Victorian-era throwbacks: they’re important in saving species<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173739/original/file-20170614-21315-17v6lu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A meerkat at the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra. The Zoo has recently announced an expansion that will double its size.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP Image/Stefan Postles</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra recently announced a new expansion that will <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-24/canberra-zoo-doubles-in-size-shows-off-baby-giraffe/8555590">double its size</a>, with open range space for large animals like white rhinos and cheetahs. </p>
<p>As well as improving visitors’ experience, the expansion is touted as a way to improve the zoo’s breeding program for threatened animals. However, zoos have received plenty of criticism over their capacity to <a href="https://asu.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/do-zoos-and-aquariums-promote-attitude-change-in-visitors-a-criti">educate</a>, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265270905_Zoos_Failing_animals_conservation_and_education">conserve</a>, or even <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/09/marius-giraffe-killed-copenhagen-zoo-protests">keep animals alive</a>.</p>
<p>But while zoos began as 19th-century menageries, they’ve come a long way since then. They’re responsible for saving <a href="https://taronga.org.au/news/2017-05-22/10-endangered-species-saved-extinction-zoos">10 iconic species worldwide</a>. Without captive breeding and reintroduction efforts, there might be no <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22697636/0">Californian Condor</a> or <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/41763/0">Przewalski’s Horse</a> – the only truly wild horse – left in the wild. </p>
<p>Australian zoos form part of a vital global network that keeps our most vulnerable species alive.</p>
<h2>What is the role of zoos for conservation?</h2>
<p>Although Canberra Zoo is relatively new compared with others in Australia – Melbourne zoo, for example, was opened in 1862 – it adds to a collection of conservation-orientated establishments.</p>
<p>In Australia, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, the Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens, Adelaide Zoo and Perth Zoo are all members of the <a href="http://www.waza.org/en/site/about-waza">World Association of Zoos and Aquariums</a> (WAZA). WAZA is an international organisation <a href="http://www.waza.org/en/site/conservation/conservation-strategies">that aims to guide and support zoos in their conservation missions</a>, including captive breeding, reintroductions into the wild, habitat restoration, and genetic management.</p>
<p>From the perspective of nature conservation, zoos have two major roles: educating the public about the plight of our fauna, and contributing to species recovery in the wild. </p>
<p>Conservation education is deeply embedded in the values of many zoos, especially in <a href="http://www.zooaquarium.org.au/index.php/conservation/in-situ-campaigns/">Australia</a>. The evidence for the link between zoo education and conservation outcomes is <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12263/full">mixed</a>, however zoos are, above anybody else, aimed at children. Evidence shows that after guided experiences in zoos children <a href="http://blogs.plos.org/scied/2013/03/11/zoo-education/">know more about nature</a> and are more likely to have a positive attitude towards it. Importantly, this attitude is <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/8/1/015016/meta">transferable to their parents</a>. </p>
<p>Zoos contribute unique knowledge and research to support field conservation programs, and thus species recovery. In Australia, zoos are directly involved in <a href="http://www.zooaquarium.org.au/index.php/tracking-estuarine-crocodiles-in-north-queensland/">monitoring of free-ranging native fauna</a> and <a href="http://dins.arwh.org/">investigations into emerging diseases</a>. Without zoos many fundamental questions about a species’ biology could not be answered, and we would lack essential knowledge on animal handling, husbandry and care.</p>
<p>Through captive breeding, zoos can secure healthy animals that can be introduced to old or new habitats, or bolster existing wild populations. For example, a conservation manager at Taronga Zoo told me they’ve released more than 50,000 animals that were either bred on-site or rehabilitated in their wildlife hospitals (another important function of zoos). </p>
<h2>Criticisms of captive breeding programs</h2>
<p>The critics of captive breeding as a conservation strategy raise several concerns. Captive bred population can <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2005.00004.x/full">lose essential behavioural and cultural adaptations, as well as genetic diversity</a>. Large predators – cats, bears and wolves – are more likely to be affected. </p>
<p>Some species, such as frogs, do well in captivity, breed fast, and are able to be released into nature with limited or no training. For others, there is usually a concerted effort to <a href="https://www.zoo.org.au/news/stranger-danger-training-for-helmeted-honeyeaters">maintain wild behaviour</a>. </p>
<p>There’s a higher chance of disease wiping out zoo populations due to animal proximity. In 2004 the largest tiger zoo in Thailand experienced an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu after <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3320363/">16 tigers were fed contaminated raw chicken</a>; ultimately 147 tigers died or were put down. </p>
<p>However, despite these risks, research shows that <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/330/6010/1503.full">reintroduction campaigns</a> improve the prospects of endangered species, and <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10871200390180163">zoos can play a crucial role in conservation</a>. Zoos are continually improving their management of the genetics, behaviour and epidemiology of captive populations. </p>
<p>They are the last resort for species on the brink of extinction, such as the <a href="http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=959">Orange-bellied Parrot</a> or the <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/15568/0">Scimitar-horned Oryx</a>, and for those <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/331/6023/1390.full">facing a threat that we cannot stop yet</a>, such as amphibians threatened by the deadly <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3323396/">Chytrid fungus</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/171975/original/file-20170602-8018-k2eiwy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/171975/original/file-20170602-8018-k2eiwy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/171975/original/file-20170602-8018-k2eiwy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/171975/original/file-20170602-8018-k2eiwy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/171975/original/file-20170602-8018-k2eiwy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/171975/original/file-20170602-8018-k2eiwy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/171975/original/file-20170602-8018-k2eiwy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Orange-bellied parrots are ranked among the most endangered species on the planet – their survival depends on zoos.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://one.aap.com.au/#/search/orange%20bellied%20parrot?q=%7B%22pageSize%22:100,%22pageNumber%22:1%7D">Chris Tzaros/AAP</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Zoos need clear priorities</h2>
<p>A cost-benefit approach can help zoos prioritise their actions. Taronga, for example, uses a prioritisation system to decide which projects to take on, with and without captive breeding. Their aim is to a foresee threats to wildlife and ecosystems and implement strategies that ensure sustainability. </p>
<p>Developing prioritisation systems relies on clearly defined objectives. Is there value in keeping a species in captivity indefinitely, perhaps focusing only on education? Is contributing to a wild population the end goal, requiring both education and active conservation?</p>
<p>Once this is defined, zoos can assess the <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982215000809">benefit and costs</a> of different actions, by asking sometimes difficult questions. Is a particular species declining in the wild? Can we secure a genetically diverse sample before it is too late? Will capturing animals impact the viability of the wild population? How likely is successful reintroduction? Can we provide enough space and stimulation for the animals, and how expensive are they to keep?</p>
<p><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12613/full">Decision science</a> can help zoos navigate these many factors to identify the best species to target for active captive conservation. In Australia, some of the rapidly declining northern mammals, which currently do not have viable zoo populations, could be a good place to start.</p>
<p>Partnerships with governmental agencies, universities and other groups are essential to all of these activities. Zoos in Australia are experts at engaging with these groups to help answer and address wildlife issues.</p>
<p><br></p>
<hr>
<p><em>Alienor Chauvenet would like to acknowledge the contribution of Hugh Possingham to this article, and thank Nick Boyle and Justine O’Brien from Taronga Conservation Society Australia for the information they provided.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/78533/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alienor Chauvenet does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Zoos’ role in conservation is divisive, but in Australia they could be critical in securing and even recovering threatened species.Alienor Chauvenet, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/683952016-11-10T08:19:22Z2016-11-10T08:19:22ZCaptive panda cubs are drinking the wrong milk – here’s why<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/145246/original/image-20161109-19051-4qpii6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">'No more milkshake for me.'</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-249906574/stock-photo-panda-triplets-half-birthday-the-triplets-which-reached-6-month-old-on-feb-1-were-the-fourth-set-of-giant-panda-triplets-born-with-the-help-of-artificial-insemination-procedures-in-chi.html?src=cp80o4WH7mhLDuFmY_7vTw-1-95">Plavevsky</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Forty years after giant panda numbers <a href="http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/giant_panda/panda/how_many_are_left_in_the_wild_population/">reached</a> an all-time low, specialists around the world are still trying to develop a self-sustaining population in captivity that can be released into the wild to secure the animal’s future. </p>
<p>This has been <a href="http://www.cbsg.org/sites/cbsg.org/files/Traylor-Holzer_Ballou_2016.pdf">hampered</a> over the years by institutions failing to work together and follow the breeding recommendations of genetic scientists. In China in particular, the home of giant pandas, breeders have prioritised cub numbers over quality. The problem is that the competing ministries responsible for panda populations are paid for each cub they produce. </p>
<p>There have long <a href="http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521832953">been concerns</a> that breeding pandas in the wrong way produces cubs in captivity with health and behavioural problems. These problems exacerbate the difficulties of giant panda reproduction and make them less capable of coping in the wild. </p>
<p>We have <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/srep36141">just published</a> new research into panda milk that adds to the growing evidence of how human interference can be bad for these animals. It relates to the fact that in China it is standard practice in breeding centres to intensively supplement – or even entirely replace – the mother’s milk with an artificial substitute. In Chinese husbandry culture, the belief is that this is the best way of ensuring the cubs have the best chance of survival and grow as quickly as possible. </p>
<p>Practices vary in other countries, often depending on the nature of the panda loan agreement they have with the Chinese authorities. In many cases, they are required to have a Chinese zookeeper overseeing the pandas at all times, in which case they will follow Chinese practice. (One example of a zoo that doesn’t interfere with panda milk is <a href="https://www.zoovienna.at/en/zoo-and-visitors/visitor-information/">Vienna</a>). </p>
<h2>The colostrum conundrum</h2>
<p>Milk is particularly important for giant pandas because of the extreme immaturity of a newborn panda cub. All bears are born more developmentally immature than any other mammal apart from marsupials, and of the seven bear species, giant pandas are born most immature of all. </p>
<p>Newborn pandas weigh only 100-150g, about 1/1,000th the weight of their mothers. They have no functioning immune system, cannot see or hear, and cannot regulate their own body temperature. They are naked and completely dependent on the mother for every aspect of survival and development. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/145247/original/image-20161109-19097-1ktv5ey.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/145247/original/image-20161109-19097-1ktv5ey.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/145247/original/image-20161109-19097-1ktv5ey.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/145247/original/image-20161109-19097-1ktv5ey.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/145247/original/image-20161109-19097-1ktv5ey.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/145247/original/image-20161109-19097-1ktv5ey.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/145247/original/image-20161109-19097-1ktv5ey.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/145247/original/image-20161109-19097-1ktv5ey.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Panda junior.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-211947010/stock-photo-guangzhou-china-august-12-2014a-newborn-giant-panda-cub-one-of-the-triplets-which-were-born-to-giant-panda-juxiao-not-pictured-is-seen-inside-an-incubator-at-the-chimelong-safari.html?src=cp80o4WH7mhLDuFmY_7vTw-1-92">Plavevsky</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As readers with children will be well aware, mothers produce a special milk in the first few days after giving birth which is unique in its composition of specific nutrients. Known as colostrum, this first milk contains specific types and concentrations of substances essential for the newborn’s immune system, as well as proteins, lipids and other molecules that are vital for development. </p>
<p><a href="http://jmammal.oxfordjournals.org/content/90/2/332">In species</a> that are born fairly mature, such as calves and foals, the colostrum phase of milk lasts only a few hours. In our <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/srep36141">new paper</a>, which is the third in a <a href="http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/2/10/150395">series</a> of <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0143417">papers</a> about giant panda milks, we hypothesised that the transition from colostrum to mature milk would be unusually long in bears in order to meet the requirements of a developmentally immature newborn. Sure enough, when we analysed milk samples from six giant pandas, the colostrum phase turned out to last 30 to 40 days. </p>
<p>We also found that the composition of the milk varied greatly over the period, with some ingredients starting off in large proportions and falling away while others started low and rose dramatically. Some of the most noticeable changes related to small molecules that are building blocks for the eye, brain and nervous system. </p>
<p>Other fluctuating ingredients are integral to cubs’ biosynthetic pathways, cell membranes, antibacterial defences and establishing microorganisms in their digestive system. These microorganisms <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26143242">may be</a> particularly important to giant pandas as they progress from a milk-based to a predominately vegetarian diet within the first year of life: giant pandas may depend on a unique gut microbiome to be able to digest the large quantities of bamboo that form the foundation of their diet.</p>
<p>We also analysed the artificial milk formulae that breeders commonly use to supplement giant panda cubs. We found that key compounds were at extremely inappropriate levels – some too low, others too high. They also stayed at these levels, not changing like the mother’s colostrum to meet the needs of the developing infant. </p>
<p>For example, we discovered that the artificial milk had a gross excess of lactose, which is abundant in cow and other milks but disappears from panda colostrum after the first day or two. This lactose <a href="http://samples.sainsburysebooks.co.uk/9780470384787_sample_382126.pdf">causes</a> panda cubs severe stomach problems and disrupts the fragile balance of microorganisms in their gut, which can hamper their digestive processes for the rest of their lives. </p>
<p>At the same time, we found major deficiencies in other key compounds in the artificial milk that may be compromising the development of the cubs’ brains, eyes and other organs – a grave risk considering the ultimate intention is to release captive-bred individuals into the wild. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/145248/original/image-20161109-19074-beqfh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/145248/original/image-20161109-19074-beqfh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/145248/original/image-20161109-19074-beqfh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/145248/original/image-20161109-19074-beqfh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/145248/original/image-20161109-19074-beqfh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/145248/original/image-20161109-19074-beqfh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/145248/original/image-20161109-19074-beqfh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/145248/original/image-20161109-19074-beqfh9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">‘Who you calling idle?’</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-137297054/stock-photo-panda-bear.html?src=cp80o4WH7mhLDuFmY_7vTw-1-18">Lee Yiu Tung</a></span>
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<h2>The wider problem</h2>
<p>In the wild, panda mothers invest extraordinary time and skill rearing their infants to be sufficiently adaptive and resilient to survive. We still have a great deal to understand about this process, and our research reveals what is probably one of a number of ways in which panda cubs suffer when breeders prevent panda mothers from raising their cubs undisturbed. </p>
<p>It is probably equally unhelpful, for example, that panda families are interfered with hourly and live in barren enclosures where mothers have no privacy or control over their environment. At three to five months of age, cubs bred in captivity are permanently removed from their mothers to maximise the chances of the mothers reproducing every year. This is very different from the wild, <a href="https://www.abebooks.co.uk/Last-Panda-Schaller-George-B-University/16569203262/bd">where</a> cubs stay with their mothers for at least two and a half years and females reproduce only every four to five years. </p>
<p>If we wish to build a captive panda population of bear cubs that are physically, cognitively and behaviourally healthy, breeders need to leave mothers to their work. Our research emphasises the evolutionary wisdom that no one else is better suited to that job.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/68395/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Malcolm Kennedy has received funding over the years from The Wellcome Trust, the Medical Research Council (UK), The Royal Society, The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, the International Science and Technology Cooperation Program of China, and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research (UK). The project in this paper was funded only by the universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kati Loeffler does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>New research shows why the milk of panda mothers is far better than formula.Malcolm Kennedy, Professor of Natural History, University of GlasgowKati Loeffler, Adjunct Professor of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.