Ronald R. Swaisgood

Scientist, Division of Panda Conservation
Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species
Zoological Society of San Diego

Dr. Ronald R. (Ron) Swaisgood serves the Zoological Society of San Diego as a scientist in the Panda Conservation Division of the Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species (CRES). He is responsible for management of the behavioral research program for the giant pandas at the San Diego Zoo and is involved in many aspects of their husbandry. He also works closely with staff at the Wolong breeding center in China, contributing to the remarkably successful natural mating program that has led to a tripling of the captive population there.

Swaisgood joined the Zoological Society and CRES in 1995 as a postdoctoral research fellow in animal behavior. In 1999, he accepted a permanent position as a field biologist, undertaking research on giant pandas and other endangered and threatened mammals including several bear species, three rhinoceros species and the small nocturnal primate, the pygmy loris. His largest research programs are with giant pandas in China and rhinoceros in South Africa.

Swaisgood graduated with highest honors from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1985 with dual bachelor degrees in zoology and anthropology. He moved on to the University of California, Davis, where he earned a master’s degree in 1990 and a Ph.D. in 1994 in animal behavior.

He is the recipient of numerous grants and awards and has authored or co-authored more than 40 scientific articles as well as 10 articles for popular magazines. He has made countless presentations before professional groups and organizations and continues a regular schedule of appearances, including media interviews and web site contributions.

The major focus of Swaisgood’s work is scent communication, where he pursues theoretically-driven research questions that yield data applicable to conservation management. The emphasis is on controlled experiments to tease out the effects of chemical signals on recipients. In the solitary species that Swaisgood studies, chemical signals play a major role in mate choice, competition, and other aspects of social and reproductive behavior. Knowledge of these communication systems can improve captive breeding efforts, help promote genetic diversity in small populations, and mitigate injurious aggression in endangered species that are translocated into new areas for conservation purposes.

Other aspects of Swaisgood’s work includes using motivational theories to develop and test strategies for enriching the captive environment to reduce animal stress and provide optimal environments for psychological well-being and reproduction. He is also currently studying maternal behavior in several bear species in order to understand deficiencies in maternal care and promote better care in “reluctant” mothers.

Swaisgood is a member of the Animal Behavior Society, where he serves on the Ethics and Conservation committees, the International Society of Behavioral Ecology and the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, where he is the behavior advisor for the Rhinoceros Taxon Advisory Group. He also serves as a reviewer for more than a dozen scientific journals.

He also mentors graduate students from several local universities, including UCLA where he has a position as an adjunct professor at the Department of Organismal Biology, Ecology and Evolution.

During his leisure time, Swaisgood enjoys birding, hiking, camping, reading and travel. He and his wife, Janice, live in the San Diego area.