The red pandas preferred to spend more time with leopard cat urine odour however none of the preferences or avoidances were significant. The behaviour diversity of red pandas decreased for all odours after their initial interaction. We can speculate that they got used the odour or did not perceive it as a danger. In all the interactions there wasn’t even one significant interaction where response of red pandas was to avoid the site of odour presentation. The intensity of urine itself may explain some of the results, because for human perception leopard cat urine smelled stringer than a common leopard or Himalayan palm civet urine. Maybe that’s why the Red pandas spent more time around leopard cat urine than Himalayan palm civet urine.

Most of the red pandas were either born in captivity or spend most of their life in captivity. They were also never presented with any olfactory enrichment or olfactory cues from predators. Their olfactory senses may not be extremely sensitive. Therefore we can assume that the red pandas were naïve to carnivore odours.

Another alternate explanation is the carnivores from whom urine samples were collected were fed domestic farm animals and did not contain any wild source of meat, neither did it contain any red panda. Therefore we can speculate that the metabolites present in the urine of carnivores were not enough to illicit a response from red pandas. Most of the carnivores had also stayed in captivity for a long period of time and their health status may have impacted the chemical cues they present in their excreta (urine). Red pandas therefore may not have perceived the urine of carnivores as potential danger, competition or attractive.

This study was logistically constrained so perhaps the observation period or method can be altered to compensate for any subtle changes in behaviours. Since most of the observations were carried out during the day light hours, we do not know if the responses would have been different during night time hours, or in the dark. Before conducting this experiment certain other studies should be done to optimize results, such as intensity of urine smells, therefore the amount or quantity used for experiments, marking or pacing behaviours of red panda, daily activity pattern in 24 hrs and alteration in that pattern after presentation of urine odour.

The red pandas were neutral to smells of all carnivores, they were not particularly attracted or repelled by any of the carnivore urine smells.