Photographic Identification of Individual Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens Cuvier, 1825)

Saroj Shrestha^1, , Karan Bahadur Shah², Damber Bista³ and Hem Sagar Baral^4,

¹Central Department of Environmental Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

²Natural History Museum, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

³Red Panda Network, Kathmandu, Nepal

⁴Zoological Society of London, Nepal Office, Kathmandu, Nepal

Cite this paper:
Saroj Shrestha, Karan Bahadur Shah, Damber Bista and Hem Sagar Baral. Photographic Identification of Individual Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens Cuvier, 1825). Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences. 2015; 3(1):11-15. doi: 10.12691/aees-3-1-3

Abstract

This study was carried out to identify individual red panda (Ailurus fulgens) through photographs and develop a protocol for their identification from pelage patterns. Manual observation method for photo-identification was applied for matching natural markings and statistical tools like Kruskal-Wallis tests and Sensitivity and Specificity tests were used during the analysis. Out of the three different sections considered in the study, contribution of head section was recorded to be the most significant (77.33%) followed by tail (53.33%) and mid section (50.66%) for discriminating individual red panda. Similarly, head section’s contribution was remarkable (60%) in distinguishing juvenile and adult red panda. This study also helped reveal out some discriminating features in tail, ear, pelage-coloration, tear drop and patches of juvenile and adult red panda. Four major types of facial patterns (Bald, Murky, Faint and Shiny) and 12 morphological features including five primary and seven secondary features were recorded for identifying individual red panda.

Keywords:
individual identification invasive marking natural marking photo-identification red panda

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Figures

References:

[1]	Karlsson, O., Hiby, L., Lundberg, T., Jussi, M., Jussi, I. and Helander, B, “Photoidentification, site fidelity and movement of female gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) between haul-outs in the Baltic Sea,” Ambio: A Journal of the Human Environment 34(8). 628-634.2005.
[2]	Fujiwara, M. and Caswell, H. “Demography of the endangered North Atlantic right whale,” Nature, 414. 537-541.2001.
[3]	Harihar, A., Pandav, B. and Goyal, S.P, “Density of leopards (Panthera pardus) in Chilla range of Rajaji National Park, Uttaranchal, India,” Mammalia, 73.68-71.2009.
[4]	Kelly, M.J, “Jaguar monitoring in western Belize,” Caribbean Geography 13.19-32.2003.
[5]	Trolle, M. and Kery, M, “Estimation of ocelot density in the Pantanal using capture-recapture analysis of camera-trapping data,” Journal of Mammalogy, 84(2).607-614.2003.
[6]	Trolle, M., Noss, A.J., De S Lima, and Dalponte, J.C, “Camera-trap studies of manned wolf density in the Cerrado and Pantanal of Brazil,” Biodiversity Conservation 16.1197-1204.2007.
[7]	Kelly, M.J., Noss, A.J., Bitetti, M.S., Maffei, L., Arispe, R.L., Paviolo, A., De Angelo, C.D. and Di Blanco, Y.E, “Estimating Puma densities from camera trapping across five study sites,”, Bolivia, Argentina and Belize, Journal of Mammalogy 89.408-418.2008.
[8]	Thapa, K., Kelly, M.J., Karki, J.B. and Subedi, N, “First camera trap record of pack hunting dholes in Chitwan National Park, Nepal,” Canid Biology and Conservation 16(2).2013.
[9]	Jackson, R. M., Roe, J. D., Wangchuk, R. and Hunter, D.O, Hunter, Surveying Snow Leopard Populations with Emphasis on Camera Trapping: A Handbook. The Snow Leopard Conservancy, Sonoma, California, 2005, 73 pages.
[10]	Sears, R., Williamson, J.M., Wenszel, F.W., Berube, M., Gendron, D. and Jones, P, “Photographic identification of the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence,” Canada, Report of the International Whaling Commission, 12. 335-342.1990.
[11]	Wursig, B. Jefferson, T.A, “Methods of photo-identification for small cetaceans,” Reports of the International Whaling Commission. Special Issue 12. 43-52.1990.
[12]	Harting, A., Baker, J. and Becker, B, “Non-metrical digital photo-identification system for the Hawaiian monk seal,” Marine Mammal Science, 20.886-895.2004.
[13]	Ardovini, A., Cinque, L. and Sangineto, E. “Identifying elephant photos by multi-curve matching,” Pattern Recognition, 41.1867-1877.2008.
[14]	Goddard, J. “Mating and Courtship in the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis L.),” East African Wildlife Journal, 4.69-75. 1966.
[15]	Wursig, B. Jefferson, T.A, “Methods of photo-identification for small cetaceans,” Reports of the International Whaling Commission. Special Issue 12.43-52.1990.
[16]	Kelly, M.J., Noss, A.J., Bitetti, M.S., Maffei, L., Arispe, R.L., Paviolo, A., De Angelo, C.D. and Di Blanco, Y.E, “Estimating Puma densities from camera trapping across five study sites,”, Bolivia, Argentina and Belize, Journal of Mammalogy 89. 408-418.2008.
[17]	Harihar, A., Ghosh, M., Fernandes M., Pandav, B. and Goyal, S.P, “Use of photographic capture-recapture sampling to estimate density of Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena): implications for conservation, India,” Mammalia. 2009.
[18]	Jones, T. 2010. Detection Probability and Individual Identification of the Andean Bear (Tremarctos ornatus), Using Camera Trapping Methods watershed in Sangay National Park, Ecuador. M.sc Thesis. Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United State.
[19]	Roth, H.H, “Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis von Tremarctos ornatus,” Der Zoologische Garten 29. 107-129.1964.