The current status and future prospects of the Red Panda (<i>Ailurus fulgens</i>) studbook population

Abstract

Abstract Scientifically based captive breeding programs are an essential prerequisite to the long‐term preservation of exotic species in zoos. The data provided by studbooks form the foundation on which such a program can be built. In the following paper, information extracted from the International Studbook for the Red Panda ( Ailurus fulgens ) is used to provide both demographic and genetic analyses of the current captive‐born population and simulations of future trends in population structure. From the results of these analyses, conclusions can be drawn which are of importance to future captive management practice.