Giant Panda

Jella Wauters leads the research project “Metabolomics in the Giant Panda: unraveling the reproductive biology” for the Pairi Daiza Foundation at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Ghent University. This study aims to develop a test that will allow scientists worldwide to predict the female panda’s heat period (a few weeks before it begins) based on hormonal markers present in the animal’s urine.

The fertility period of a female Giant Panda occurs only once a year and lasts only one to three days. If fertilization occurs during this short period, the rest of the pregnancy remains a huge mystery. The precise duration of the pregnancy, miscarriages, and/or reasons for absorption of the fetus by the reproductive system in the female Giant Panda are still unknown to date.

The hormonal markers, central to Jella Wauters’ work, can also indicate the precise moment of ovulation and track the progress of one of the most mysterious pregnancies in the animal kingdom, ultimately significantly increasing the chances of reproduction, not only in zoos and breeding centers in China but also in the wild.