CHINA鈥橲 captive giant pandas are in bad health and urgently need better veterinary care, according to a study of pandas in the country鈥檚 zoos.
More than 50 per cent of the world鈥檚 captive giant pandas are at three locations in China. 鈥淭heir health is very, very badly neglected and many of us consider this a significant threat to the population,鈥� says Kati Loeffler of the Smithsonian鈥檚 National Zoological Park in Washington DC, who presented the results of the Wildlife Disease Association鈥檚 international conference in Cairns, Australia, last week.
The World Conservation Union organised a survey of China鈥檚 captive giant pandas between 1998 and 2000. It reported numerous problems and called for further investigation.
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Loeffler鈥檚 team studied 13 animals at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan. Almost every animal had gastrointestinal disease and dental problems.
Loeffler says poor veterinary training is to blame. 鈥淭he director of the Chengdu Research Base is very keen on improving the pandas鈥� health, but he meets resistance from even his own staff.鈥�
