Ex situ conservation efforts are the last resort for many critically endangered species, and captive breeding centers are thought to provide a safe environment for producing individuals for eventual re-introduction to the wild. The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the world’s most endangered animals and is a widely recognized symbol for conservation.
Results/Conclusions
Our studies found that captive pandas in China experience environmental and dietary exposures to high concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and biphenyls) and heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead). Moreover, our further studies showed that atmospheric deposition is the most likely origin of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the diets of captive and wild Qinling pandas. Average atmospheric deposition was 199, 115, and 49 g·m-2·yr-1 in the center of Xi’an City, at China’s Shaanxi Wild Animal Research Center (SWARC), and at Foping National Nature Reserve (FNNR), respectively. Atmospheric deposition of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, Co, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Ni) and POPs was highest at Xi’an City, intermediate at SWARC, and lowest at FNNR. Soil concentrations of the aforementioned heavy metals other than As and Zn also were signifcantly higher at SWARC than at FNNR. Efforts to conserve Qinling pandas may be compromised by air pollution attendant to China’s economic development. Improvement of air quality and reductions of toxic emissions are urgently required to protect China’s iconic species.