Those that matched were in latitudes equivalent to their natural habitat in China, but could have been in other countries. The zoos have not been identified but they were roughly split between the animals’ natural latitudes and those outside that range. Matching latitudes could also be considered between 26 and 42 degrees south, she said, as these mirror the temperature and lighting conditions.Ī team of 13 observers, led by Gandia, monitored 11 giant pandas at six different zoos, all of which were born in captivity. Gandia explained to CNN that the latitudinal range for giant pandas is between 26 and 42 degrees north. Meanwhile, other factors such as regular visits by zookeepers could also affect the animals’ circadian clocks. These cameras enabled the scientists to monitor the pandas’ behavior across a 24-hour period. “They are very popular in zoos and there are a lot which have ‘panda cams’ (webcams from the animals’ enclosures), so we can see how their behavior changes across different latitudes.” “Pandas are very good animals to focus on,” she said. Their treatment in captivity also lent itself well to the study, Gandia added.

Migrations occur in spring because the pandas eat a certain species of bamboo and go in search of new shoots.

Giant pandas were chosen as the focus for the study partly because they live highly seasonal lives. “This is definitely a concept that could apply to all captive animals,” Gandia told CNN. Gandia and a team of observers set out to understand how the “jet lag” of living in latitudes that animals did not evolve in can affect them. South Korean zoo celebrates birth of first twin pandas Giant Panda Ai Bao holds her baby panda with mouth after giving birth to twin at Everland amusement park in Yongin, South Korea, July 11, 2023. In humans, this can range from jet lag to metabolic issues and seasonal affective disorder,” Gandia said. “When internal clocks are not synchronized with external cues like light and temperature, animals experience adverse effects. “Animals, including humans, have evolved rhythms to synchronize their internal environment with the external environment,” said lead study author Kristine Gandia, a PhD student at the University of Stirling in Scotland, in a news release.

This could be very significant to considering the welfare of animals in captivity, many of which are at high risk of extinction in the wild - including giant pandas. But problems arise when the cues they’re exposed to in captivity do not match the ones of their natural environment, the study found. Like all animals, pandas have a circadian clock - an internal body clock that runs in approximately 24-hour cycles - and it is regulated by cues from their environment. This could have a significant impact on the well-being and behavior of the endangered species, according to a new study published Monday in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. Giant pandas living in captivity could be suffering from “jet lag” if their body clocks don’t match their environments, scientists say.

Chatbot icon animal