Bottleneck Analysis and Research Prospects of Reproductive Physiology in Captive Giant Pandas

As the flagship species of global biodiversity conservation, the healthy and sustainable development of the captive giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) population is a crucial hallmark of the success of ex-situ conservation. After decades of systematic scientific exploration and practice, China has achieved groundbreaking progress in key technical areas such as captive giant panda artificial breeding and rearing, achieving self-sustenance and steady growth of the captive population, marking a transformative shift in conservation stages from "quantitative expansion" to "qualitative optimization". However, improvements in reproductive efficiency have encountered new bottlenecks, mainly manifested in unclear mechanisms such as hidden estrus, pseudopregnancy, and delayed implantation, as well as the potential long-term effects of assisted reproductive technology. This review focuses on the above core bottlenecks and systematically reviews the current research status of captive giant pandas in estrus regulation, artificial assisted reproduction, pregnancy diagnosis, and rearing technologies. By comparing the differences in methods and conclusions of different studies, it reveals the deep-rooted problem that existing research has more phenomena described than mechanism analysis and that technology applications preceded basic research. Addressing the aforementioned issues, specific research paths have been proposed, including the construction of an "energy-hormone-behavior" multidimensional regulation model, the screening of pregnancy diagnostic markers based on multi-omics, and the development of a digital monitoring system for "mother-infant" interactions. These efforts aim to provide a theoretical basis and technical direction for breaking through the current breeding bottleneck and promoting the transition of giant panda conservation from empirical breeding to precise regulation.