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Breeding Success

SCIENCE Dr. Copper Aitken-Palmer jokes

that she has a success rate of more

than 100% in helping giant pandas

become pregnant through artificial

insemination because her efforts Dr. Copper Aitken-Palmer
have resulted in pregnancies performs an exam on a recently
every time—and twins every time. born red river hog piglet.

Last May, Aitken-Palmer joined the

Chicago Zoological Society veterinary team, bringing with her a wealth

of pioneering experience working to revitalize endangered species.

Until 2003, giant pandas were bred but without thought to

doing so in an organized, scientific manner, and genetic diversity

among individuals in managed care was a problem. After 13

years of analysis and strategic pairings, genetic diversity has been

maintained. This type of care and support to save the species—

much of it thanks to conservationists from China—has moved

its classification from “endangered” to “vulnerable” in the wild.

Aitken-Palmer used her expertise in giant panda reproduction

to perform artificial insemination for the giant pandas at

the National Zoo in Washington D.C. and Zoo Atlanta.

The result was the healthy birth of three sets of twins.

Aitken-Palmer’s work with giant pandas

began when she was an intern at the Smithsonian

Conservation Biology Institute. She went on to

complete a dual master’s of science and doctorate of

veterinary medicine as part of a joint program between

the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and

Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine. Later, she

completed a Ph.D. studying giant panda reproduction at

the University of Maryland, spending four years part-time

at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in

China. Aitken-Palmer’s doctoral research was the world’s

largest single long-term study of giant pandas’ biology.

She has helped close gaps in knowledge of the species’

reproduction, health, husbandry, and genetics.

Giant pandas are just the beginning. Aitken-

Palmer also helped complete a large-scale biological

survey of red pandas in Chengdu, collecting

baseline data to determine normal parameters

for the species. She hopes to use those data

to continue to advance the knowledge of

red pandas here at Brookfield Zoo. █

BROOKFIELD ZOO | SPRING 2017 11