Establishment of Indicators for Intestinal Health in Red Pandas (Ailurus fulgens)

The objective of this study was to establish indicators for intestinal health in captive red pandas (Ailurus fulgens). A whole year experiment with three male red pandas in Taipei Zoo were used to investigate the effect of bamboo leaf consumption on animal digestion performance and hindgut fermentation. During the trial period, bamboo leaves consumption was recorded daily and fresh feces were collected biweekly. The collected feces were classified into leaf-type (LF), concentrate-type (CF) and mix-type (MF) by their constituent. The microbiota composition, enzymes activities and concentration of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) of each fecal samples were analyzed. The nutrient composition and secondary metabolites in bamboo leaves were also analyzed. The fluctuating intake of bamboo leaves and distinct preference of Moso bamboo indicated that red pandas were very selective on the quality of food. Analysis of microbiota showed that the ratio of Lactobacillus spp. and Clostridium spp. remained stable throughout the entire experiment. The fecal enzymes activities varied with season, and protease activity was relatively stable. The acetate was the major SCFA, followed by butyrate, isobutyrate and propionate. The types of feces showed significant influence on fecal indicators. The LF had higher Enterococcus spp. ratio (P < 0.05) and higher esterase activity (P < 0.05), while higher endocellulase activity was shown in the CF (P < 0.05). On the other hand, the consumption of bamboo leaves negatively correlated with the ratio of coliform, and positively correlated with exocellulase activity. In conclusion, the ratio of Lactobacillus spp., Clostridium spp. and acetate, and protease activity in feces are credible fecal indicators for red pandas in Taipei Zoo. The varied characteristics in different types of feces and the correlations suggested that consumption of bamboo leaves influenced the fermentation function of red pandas.