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9 - 7B EX-SITU CONSERVATION OF THE GIANT PANDA IN SICHUAN PROVINCE

1. Project Summary and Relationship to China's Agenda 21

This project seeks to increase the giant panda population, promote its viability, and supplement in-situ conservation. Based on the present captive population of the giant panda in Sichuan province, this project will establish a completely open laboratory and organise domestic and foreign experts to collaborate on improving the feeding and breeding techniques of the captive giant panda. This group will also work towards solving other key technical problems related to conservation of the giant panda. The project is based on programme area 15A of China's Agenda 21, and is related to programme area 14E.

2. Background

The giant panda is an ancient species which has coexisted with human beings in many areas of China. However, the current Giant panda population is distributed only in narrow island-like habitats of mountain chains in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu province of China. With a population of less than one thousand, the giant panda is an extremely endangered species. According to the conservation strategies of IUCN, a captive population of a species must be established to conduct ex-situ conservation to support, supplement and promote its in-situ conservation if the population is less than 1000.

By improving techniques of artificial feeding, breeding and disease prevention of the captive population, model techniques can be developed to increase the giant panda population in Sichuan province. The project will provide guidance for the analysis and assessment of genetic diversity within different geographical populations. Based on relevant preliminary studies, this project will attempt to raise pandas in captivity and to re-introduce them into the wild.

This project has been incorporated into the project of Giant Panda and its Habitat Conservation funded by the Ministry of Forestry and Sichuan province, and the project for Ex-situ Conservation of the Giant Panda funded by the Ministry of Construction. Parts of the project have also been incorporated in the Ninth Five-Year Social Development Plan of Chengdu Municipality and in certain programs of the Ninth Five-Year Plan of the Planning Commission, Scientific and Technological Commission, Construction Commission, and Garden Bureau of Chengdu.

One of the major implementing agencies of the project, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding was built by the Chengdu Municipal Government and supported by the Ministry of Construction in 1987. Currently 35 ha. in area, the base is expected to expand to 200 ha. Along with scientific research facilities, the base is equipped with pens which are similar to the natural micro-habitats of giant and red pandas. In 1995 the Base was awarded as one of the Global 500 Award of the United Nations Environment Programme for its remarkable achievements in ex-situ conservation of giant pandas. The other major implementing agency, China (Wolong) Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda is situated within the Wolong Nature Reserve, which is the earliest and largest nature reserves for giant panda conservation in China. This Reserve contains thirty percent of all pandas in captivity and ten percent of the total panda population in the world. These two agencies possess the basic facilities and conditions for implementing the project. The implementing team will consist of a number of experts from these two implementing agencies and from the Chengdu Zoo, Kunming Institute of Zoology of China Academy of Science, Agriculture University of Guangxi, Agriculture University of Northwest China, Sichuan Union University and Normal University of Sichuan.

Much research has been completed concerning scientific feeding, genetics, reproductive hormones, breeding and disease prevention for giant pandas by the scientists in the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, China (Wolong) Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, Chengdu Zoo and other implementing agencies. They have been awarded with more than 20 national, provincial or municipal prizes. At present, the implementing agencies have begun pre-studies of reproductive system and ovary dissection, histology, reproductive hormones, quality of semen and ova penetration of hereto-species sperms. A ten-year joint research plan between China, Japan and South Korea has been worked out. A solid foundation for implementing the project has been laid.

3. Objectives

3.1 Long-term Objective Building a model of ex-situ conservation of the giant panda and perfecting related techniques to enlarge ex-situ population of the giant panda and promote its viability. This will rejuvenate the overall giant panda population and rescue the species from extinction.

3.2 Immediate Objectives

* To increase the captive giant panda population in Sichuan province to 80-90 individuals and complete the pre-study and attempts of re-introducing artificially bred giant pandas into the wild;

* To recognise genetic diversity of the ex-situ giant panda population and reduce risks of inbreeding within the ex-situ giant panda population;

* To develop embryo engineering techniques for close relatives of the giant panda with similar reproductive characteristics, such as bears and red pandas.

4. Outputs and Activities

4.1 Enlargement of the ex-situ giant panda population within Sichuan province

* To consummate techniques of artificial insemination, the improvement and taming of studs, artificial feeding, disease prevention and cures, and to raise conception rate, birth rate and survival rate.

Monitoring Indicators: the number of the giant panda individuals in captivity to 80-90 and survival rate of the bred pandas to 85%.

Implementing Agencies: Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, China (Wolong) Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, Chengdu Zoo.

Time Schedule: January 1997 - December 2000

4.2 Analysis of genetics diversity of the ex-situ giant panda population

* To analyse genetic diversity and identify inbreeding relationships within the ex-situ population.

Monitoring Indicators: identification of parents of the giant pandas artificially inseminated, a studbook of the ex-situ population in Sichuan province.

Implementing Agencies: Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu Zoo, Molecular Biology and Bioengineering Laboratory of Sichuan Union University, Kunming Zoology Institute of China Academic of Science and Molecular Biology Institute of Normal University of Sichuan.

Time Schedule: January 1997 - December 1998

4.3 Study on reproductive Hormonology of the giant panda

* To elaborate the reproductive hormonological characteristics of the giant panda, determine the relationships between reproductive hormones and estrone, releasing ova and pregnancy, enhance quality of semen and conception rate.

Monitoring Indicator: techniques for examining and determining reproductive hormones of the giant panda.

Implementing Agencies: Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu Zoo, Animal Reproduction Laboratory of Guangxi Agriculture University, Reproductive Hormonology and Embryo Laboratory of Domestic Animal of Northwest Agriculture University, Animal Embryo Engineering of Laser Life Science Institute of Southeast Normal University.

Time Schedule: January 1997 - December 1998

4.4 Embryo engineering techniques of the bear and red panda

* To supplement and complete the present experimental facilities and build a laboratory accessible to workers in this field;

* To unite foreign experts to work out solutions to key problems and study embryo engineering of animals similar to the giant panda (e.g. bears, red pandas) in taxonomic and reproductive traits. Monitoring Indicators: developing technical standards for obtaining ova of living animals, techniques for examining and determining external maturation rate of follicle ova, external fertilisation rate and blastula development rate, transplanting efficiency rate of bear and red panda embryo, providing bears and red pandas for in-vitro fertilisation; offspring of artificially inseminated bears and red pandas, and natural offspring of red pandas.

Implementing Agencies: Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu Zoo, Animal Reproduction Laboratory of Guangxi Agriculture University, Reproductive Hormonology and Embryo Laboratory of Domestic Animal of Northwest Agriculture University, Animal Embryo Engineering of Laser Life Science Institute of Southeast Normal University and related foreign institutions.

Time Schedule: January 1997 - December 2004

4.5 Training artificially bred giant pandas for living in the wild.

* To train giant panda in captivity the essential skills of foraging, defending territory, fighting for mating partners, protecting and feeding cubs and escaping from predators in an artificial environment similar to wild conditions;

* To carry out preliminary experiments of short-term re-introduction of artificially bred giant pandas.

Monitoring Indicators: training grounds and standards for examining and determining viability and physical strength.

Implementing Agency: China (Wolong) Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda.

Time Schedule: January 1997 - June 2000

4.6 Establishment of a museum and multimedia information system

* Based on the existing museum, to construct a museum of other endangered animals;

* To thoroughly collect and sort out all of the data on the giant panda and develop a computer multimedia information system.

Monitoring Indicators: the museum and multimedia information system.

Implementing Agency: Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Time Schedule: January 1997 - December 1999

5. Inputs

5.1 Chinese Inputs

Chinese inputs include experimental animals (bears, red pandas and domestic animals), experts working on wildlife, embryo engineering and genetics, facilities of the open laboratory, certain scientific instruments, accommodations for foreign experts and funds for construction of the museum and multimedia information system.

5.2 International Inputs

International inputs include techniques of animal embryo engineering, certain scientific instruments, partial funding for research, expenditure on travel to China, accommodation and wages for foreign experts, and partial support for Chinese staff to study in the collaborating institutions abroad.

5.3 Budget

The total capital needed for this project is US$ 7.45 million. The Chinese participants will raise US$ 3.24 million from domestic source, while foreign aid will cover the other US$ 4.21 million.

Table 1. Budget by Item (in million US dollars)

Item

Total

Chinese Inputs
International Inputs

Subtotal
Grant
Loan
Local Contribution
Subtotal
Grant
Loan
Direct Investment

Experts
0.30
0.30
0.30

Training
0.40
0.20
0.16
0.04
0.20
0.20

Instruments
2.30
0.80
0.60
0.20
1.50
1.50

Research Expenses
1.60
0.80
0.60
0.20
0.80
0.80

Academic Activities
0.35
0.20
0.10
0.10
0.15
0.15

Experimental Animals
0.50
0.50
0.10
0.40

Facilities
0.40
0.40
0.10
0.30

Consummation of Wolong Centre
0.97
0.12
0.12
0.85
0.85

Consummation of Chengdu Base
0.48
0.12
0.12
0.36
0.36

Contingency
0.15
0.10
0.08
0.02
0.05
0.05

Total
7.45
3.24
1.98
1.26
4.21
4.21

Table 2. Budget by Output (in million US dollars)

Item

Total

Chinese Inputs
International Inputs

Subtotal
Grant
Loan
Local Contribution
Subtotal
Grant
Loan
Direct Investment

4.1
0.80
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.50
0.50

4.2
0.80
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.50
0.50

4.3
0.85
0.35
0.20
0.15
0.50
0.50

4.4
2.95
0.60
0.50
0.10
2.35
2.35

4.5
0.80
0.54
0.38
0.16
0.26
0.26

4.6
1.25
1.15
0.50
0.65
0.10
0.10

Total
7.45
3.24
1.98
1.26
4.21
4.21

6. Benefits

The implementation of the project will enlarge the population size of the captive giant panda and lay a foundation for rehabilitation of the wild population. This will increase the level of research and advance in-situ and ex-situ conservation of wildlife in China. The studies performed during this project will also contribute to the general knowledge of animals husbandry and reproduction.

7. Risks

The main risk of the project is that embryo engineering may have negative effects on growth and production of the existing giant panda population. To avoid this possibility, experiments will first be conducted on bears and red pandas before any work is done on the giant panda.