We studied the behavior responses of 13 captive female and 11 male red pandas Ailurus fulgens to the odors (anal glands section, feces, urine and body odor) of the same sex and opposite-sexby pen swapping from January-March 2005. The results displayed that both genders displayed a dramatic increase in activity, rubbing, licking, sniffing (anal glands section, urine, feces) and urination, when entering pens filled with odorants of other individuals. All animals showed a marked preference for odors of the opposite-sex. This indicated that red panda of both genders could identify gender on the basis of chemical cues, and could distinguish self-generating odors and other individuals’ odors. However, it was not clear whether feces conveyed individual and sex information.
