Panda personality traits may play a significant part in breeding success

So far, their findings have indicated some personality traits are more effective together than others -- either enhancing chances for reproduction or diminishing them. For example, the data shows that excitable males that paired with less-excitable females fared better reproductively. Also, males that were more aggressive than their female partners, when paired, were more likely to mate and produce cubs than more-aggressive females paired with less-aggressive males. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) last year reclassified the giant panda as vulnerable -- indicating in their report that current conservation efforts are working; however, they acknowledged that panda breeding still remains a problem. Currently, scientists count nearly 2,000 giant pandas living in their native habitats -- and the majority of them are adults. While breeding and reintroduction programs are becoming more effective by providing more pandas to bolster the wild populations, conservationists believe that learning more about the importance of personality combinations in breeding success could ultimately help boost the number of pandas even further -- not only in accredited zoos, but also in their habitats in China.

San Diego Zoo Global's role in panda conservation began decades ago, when the San Diego Zoo first introduced two giant pandas -- on loan from China -- to the American public. The Zoo's historic giant panda breeding program began after female panda Bai Yun (pronounced By Yoon) arrived in 1996. She was the first panda to successfully give birth to surviving cubs in the United States -- and since then, she has helped researchers and keepers learn more about panda behavior, pregnancy, birth and maternal care.