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European Journal of Applied Sciences – Vol. 10, No. 5
Publication Date: October 25, 2022
DOI:10.14738/aivp.105.13231. Altigani, L. A. A., Bu, S., Adam, A. M. A., Si, K., Wu, X., Li, G., & Song, H. (2022). Competence Between Endangered Wild Animals: an
Example of Takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) and Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). European Journal of Applied Sciences, 10(5).
390-403.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Competence Between Endangered Wild Animals: an Example of
Takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) and Panda (Ailuropoda
melanoleuca)
Latifa A. A. Altigani
Department of Wildlife, Faculty of Forestry Sciences
University of Zalingei, Zalingei, Sudan
Shuhai Bu
College of Life Science, Northwest Agricultural &
Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
A. M. A. Adam
Department of Wildlife, Faculty of Forestry Sciences
University of Zalingei, Zalingei, Sudan
Kaichang Si
Zhouzhi National Nature Reserve Adminitration
Zhouzhi, Shaanxi, 712100, China
Xun-tao Wu
Taibai Mountain National Nature Reserve Adminitration
Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
Guochun Li
College of Life Science, Northwest Agricultural &
Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
Huadong Song
College of Life Science, Northwest Agricultural &
Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
ABSTRACT
The study was conducted in tow locations are: (1) Taibai Mountain natural reserve
(107°22’-107°51’E and 33°49’-34°05’N) and (2) Zhouzhi natural reserve (108° 14′-
108° 18′ E, 33° 45′-33° 50′ N). To examine and analyze the impact of Golden takin
behavior on the Giant panda activity in winter habitat and analyze their
interactions at Taibai Mountain and Zhouzhi natural reserve. For habitat survey,
randomly walked within the study areas with different vegetation types to search
for signs of each species. The presence of Golden takin and Giant panda was
identified based on their fresh droppings. Once fresh droppings were found and a
sampling plot of 20 m x 20 m was established and centered on the droppings
location. Two (2 m × 10 m) were set at different locations within the 20 m × 20 m
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391
Altigani, L. A. A., Bu, S., Adam, A. M. A., Si, K., Wu, X., Li, G., & Song, H. (2022). Competence Between Endangered Wild Animals: an Example of
Takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) and Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). European Journal of Applied Sciences, 10(5). 390-403.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.105.13231
plot, and observations were made according to the type of habitats including type
of trees, bamboo type, bamboo cover, bamboo density, canopy, shrub cover and
herb cover. At Taibai Mountain, a total of 12 infrared cameras were placed on tree
stems at 1 m height, the laying density of cameras is 4 sets / km2 and other 20
infrared cameras were mounted at Guangtoushan in Zhouzhi natural reserve,to
monitor Golden takin and Giant panda movement. Camera traps data were collected
every three months depending on the status of battery and the weather conditions.
Takin displayed the highest peak activity at periods of 16:00-18:00 pm (48.03%)
and 16:00-18:00 pm (39.29%) in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, respectively, while for
Panda the highest peaks of activity were recorded at periods of 14:00-16:00 pm
(24.58%) and 12:00-14:00 pm (26.13%) in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015,
respectively. At Zhouzhi natural reserve, Takin showed also highest peak of activity
at periods of 16:00-18:00 pm (23.48%) and 16:00-18:00 pm (38.48%) in 2014-2015
and 2015-2016, respectively, whereas the highest peak activity for Panda were
recorded at periods of 12:00-14:00 pm (19.15%) and 12:00-14:00 pm (18.22%) in
2014-2015 and 2015-2016, respectively.
Key Words: Taibai Mountain, Zhouzhi Nature Reserve, Gaint Panda, Golden Takin,
Camera trap
INTRODUCTION
Technologies such as camera-trapping are particularly important in the case of studying the
highly threatened species [1]. Camera traps are increasingly being used to study wildlife
behavior such as foraging [2], daily activity patterns [3], movement [4], and conducting
population estimations, as well as interspecific niche partitioning and overlap [5]. Important
indicators can derive from camera trapping data including species diversity, relative abundance
of species, wildlife activity patterns and population density estimates [6]. The technique has
also been the subject of many other scientific papers since the beginning of the 21st century,
revealing more about the ecology of rare, nocturnal animals, as well as those highly sensitive to
the presence of humans or those living in large home ranges [7].
Several previous studies reported the use of camera traps in many species, including jaguar
(Panthera onca) populations in Bolivia [8] ; [9], Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) in Brazil [11],
Bobcat (Lynx rufus) in Texas, USA [13], Snow leopard (Uncia uncia) in India [10] and in the
Muzat Valley of Xinjiang, China [12]. The species of similar body size and foraging strategies,
interactions may lower the fitness of at least one species in the dyad [14]
Takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) and Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are two endangered
mammals, and occur sympatrically throughout the southern part of the Qinling Mountains in
China The sympatric species usually have similar life history traits [15]. Panda sharing habitat
distribution with large mammal species such as Takin (Budorcas taxicolor) whose the
populations number is higher [14]. Panda belong to order Carnivora, with bamboos
constituting more than 99 % of their annual diet in the wild [17]. Although, the same habitat
share by Takin, Takin is an endemic subspecies inhabiting forests and alpine meadows [16],
and feeding on various species of plant including moss, fern, herb, shrub, and tree [19]. The diet
of Takin can vary over the seasons, and contains primarily of twigs, young stems, leaves of
plants and also includes bamboo leaves and shoots [18]. Panda and Takin may compete for
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European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 10, Issue 5, October-2022
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
similar food resources during some stages of their life histories (such as bamboo in winter)
[15].
Previous studies showed that Pandas in Qinling Mountains moved to low elevation in winter
and high elevation in summer [20], especially at Guangtoushan in Foping nature reserve,
however, our previous investigations explored that Panda still stay at high elevation areas in
some parts of Taibai Mountain and Guangtoushan in winter for short distance migration. Hence,
the aim is to examine the interactions between two sympatric species Takin (with large-body
size) and Panda; monitoring focusing on study the impact of Takin behavior on the Panda
activity in the high elevation in winter habitat with bamboo (Fargesia qinlingensis) stand areas.
Those reserves are important for Giant Panda conservation, as well as for other wild animals.
Through monitoring of these wild animals, also expecting these to provide useful information
and help to understand the ecological relationship between Panda and other species sharing
the same habitats for more conservation.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Study area
The study was conducted in tow locations are: (1) Taibai Mountain natural reserve (107°22’-
107°51’E and 33°49’-34°05’N) , covering an area of 56325 hectares. Taibai Mountain is the
highest mountain in the Qinling range of eastern mainland of China, with an elevation ranging
from 1060 to 3767.2 m above the sea level. The annual average of temperature varies from 11.0
°C (1250 m) to 1.1 °C (3250 m) [21], the mean annual precipitation is 751.8 mm (Fig.1). The
vegetation types are mixed coniferous and coniferous forest. (2) Zhouzhi natural reserve (108°
14′-108° 18′ E, 33° 45′-33° 50′ N). It covers an area of 56,393 hectares, with an elevation of
1400-2996 m. The area’s climate is moist and rainy with a short summer, a long winter, and
average temperature is about 7oC, annual precipitation range between 600 - 1100 mm. The
vegetation area consist of mixed coniferous broad-leaf forest and conifer (Fig.1).
Fig.1: The geographic location of Taibai and Zhouzhi natural reserve of Shaanxi Province, China