Free-ranging yak grazing is a regime specially adapted to high-elevation environments across the Pan-Tibetan Highlands, yet its impacts on alpine birds remain poorly understood. The Chinese Monal (Lophophorus lhuysii) is a rare pheasant species that serves as a representative and umbrella species for alpine meadow ecosystems in the mountains of Southwest China, and has long been regarded as threatened by free-ranging yaks. However, the actual impacts and specific mechanisms through which yak grazing influences Chinese Monal have not been empirically tested. Here, we conducted infrared camera monitoring in alpine meadows within the Wolong National Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China, from 2019 to 2022. We analyzed the effects of free-ranging yaks on habitat occupancy, activity pattern, and population density of the Chinese Monal using multispecies occupancy models, kernel density estimations, avoidance attraction ratios, and random encounter models. We found that interactions with yaks affect monal habitat occupancy in conjunction with other ecological factors. Specifically, the presence of yaks alters monals’ occupancy responses to variations in grass cover and elevation, causing monals to use habitats with lower grass cover and elevation more frequently. Additionally, the activity patterns of the Chinese Monal and yaks are significantly different, and the presence of yaks significantly prolongs the time until monals re-occupy the same habitats. As an outcome of the cumulative effects of spatial and temporal avoidance, the population density of the Chinese Monal negatively correlated with increasing grazing intensity. This study provides the first empirical evidence of the negative impacts of free-ranging yaks on the Chinese Monal and elucidates the underlying mechanisms, highlighting great risks to conservation of this vulnerable species. Our findings inform the optimization of grazing management that balances production with conservation. Strict control over yak numbers and grazing areas in critical habitats for Chinese Monal and other threatened species could be a feasible compromise to mitigate these pressures.

In response to various human disturbances and natural disasters, numerous nature reserves have been established globally, accompanied by the implementation of stringent management practices. Wildfires are a prevalent phenomenon in natural ecosystems, including those within strictly managed nature reserves and the habitats of rare species. However, comprehensive evaluations of wildfire risk across different types of reserves and species distribution areas remain notably lacking. Here, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of wildfire risk in giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) distribution areas, encompassing both protected and non-protected habitats, and analyzed their spatial heterogeneity as well as the key influencing factors. Our findings revealed that 5030km2, representing 17% of the total suitable habitat for giant pandas, are at high risk of wildfire. Notably, 90.1 % of the area in the Xiaoxiangling Mountains (XXL) was exposed to high wildfire risk, compared to 65.2 % in the Liangshan Mountains (LSH). For nature reserves, the proportion of areas with high wildfire risk inside the reserves (23.7 %) is slightly lower than outside them (27.2 %), indicating that the presence of reserves mitigates wildfire risk to some extent. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that temperature seasonality and vegetation type were the primary factors influencing wildfire risk within giant panda habitats. This study provides valuable insights into wildfire management in giant panda distribution areas, with broader implications for conservation practices in other protected areas and species habitats worldwide.

BackgroundPigeons are significant economic animals in China; however, research regarding the establishment and influencing factors of gut microbiota in squabs remains limited. Understanding how the gut microbiota develops in pigeons, particularly in relation to pigeon milk, is importance in pigeon production. This study aims to elucidate the establishment characteristics of the gut microbiota in White King pigeon squabs and explore the role of pigeon milk in this process.MethodsThis study employed 16S rRNA sequencing technology to investigate the dynamics of microbial composition in feces and pigeon milk at various growth stages of White King pigeon. Functional prediction analysis was performed to assess the metabolic pathways involved, and correlation analysis was used to explore the relationships between microbial communities in different sample types.ResultsThe findings revealed a diverse microbiome present in the meconium of newborn pigeons, with a microbial composition that significantly differed from that of other feces groups. In contrast, the microbial composition of feces (FN) from pigeons aged 7 to 21 days exhibited less variability. At the phylum level, the predominant microbial taxa identified in the feces of FN were Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, and Proteobacteria. At the genus level, the main dominant bacterial groups included Lactobacillus, Limosilactobacillus, and Turicibacter. Functional prediction analysis indicated that the gut microbiota of pigeons primarily participate in metabolic pathways related to carbohydrates, amino acids, lipids, cofactors, and vitamins. Furthermore, the dominant bacteria found in pigeon milk (MN) were identified as probiotics, including Limosilactobacillus, Ligilactobacillus, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Aeriscardovia, which collectively accounted for over 90% of the total abundance. Correlation analysis of the abundance of shared microbes revealed that the association between meconium and feces at the other stages was extremely low. In contrast, the correlation between colostrum and feces at the post-feeding stage were found to be the highest.ConclusionThis study indicates that prenatal colonization occurs in White King pigeons. Notably, within the first week after birth, the gut microbial composition of young pigeons becomes stable. Furthermore, the colostrum serves as the most significant driver for the establishment of intestinal microbiota in squab post-birth. The findings of this study suggest that microorganisms can be added to artificial pigeon milk based on the predominant microbial composition of colostrum. This approach could facilitate the establishment of gut microbiota in young pigeons, thereby promoting their growth and development and providing production benefits.

The behavioral rhythm and time distribution of the Chinese monal (Lophophorus lhuysii) in captivity was different from those in the wild, and this may affect its reproductive rate and survival status. In order to understand the behavior characteristics of captive Chinese monals, between August 2016 and August 2017 an instantaneous scanning method was employed to investigate the daily behavioral rhythm of captive Chinese monals in Fengtongzhai National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, China. The results indicated the following: the daily behavioral rhythm of Chinese monals demonstrated the absence of a distinct feeding peak during the spring breeding season. In summer, autumn, and winter, foraging and wandering behaviors exhibited peaks in both the morning and evening, while resting behavior and foraging or wandering behavior displayed distinct peaks. Preening behavior was observed across all seasons, with a peak occurring around noon. Differences in diurnal behavioral rhythms between males and females were noted across all seasons. The time distribution of daily behavior demonstrated notable seasonal regularity and periodicity, and also showed differences between males and females. In spring, no significant differences were found between males and females in feeding, resting, preening, and sand-bathing behavior (all P > 0.05). During summer, the sand-bathing behavior of males was significantly lower than that of females (all P < 0.05). In autumn, males exhibited a significantly higher frequency of forging behavior (P = 0.000) and a significantly lower frequency of resting behavior compared to females (P = 0.001). Additionally, wandering behavior in males was significantly lower than in females (P = 0.030). In winter, the sand-bathing behavior of males was significantly lower than that of females (P = 0.001). This study is not only of great significance for the conservation and artificial breeding of this species, but also has practical application value for understanding its ecological habits and improving the level of feeding and management.

The zokor genus Eospalax includes seven recognized species, distributed from the south-western Hengduan Mountains to the north-eastern Loess Plateau. While Eospalax was previously thought to have originated in the Qinling-Daba Mountains or North China, the discovery of Eospalax muliensis rendered this conclusion controversial. Between 1991 and 2024, faunal surveys in the northern Hengduan Mountains collected 17 conspecific zokor specimens that display distinct morphological traits compared to other species, suggesting that they may represent a separate taxon. High-depth whole-genome sequencing confirmed these specimens form a monophyletic group, supported by genetic distances derived from both the whole nuclear genome and the Cytb gene. Principal component analysis of 18 skull measurements from 90 individuals across eight species has revealed notable morphological differences between these specimens and their congeners. Molecular and morphological evidence together suggest that these specimens represent a new species, which we designate as Eospalax minshanensis sp. nov. This species, part of the high-altitude lineage, diverged from other zokors at 2.80 Mya (95% CI = 2.34-3.28 Mya). With the discovery of the new species, our findings further suggest that the genus Eospalax originated in the Hengduan Mountains.

Understanding the patterns and drivers of different facets of biodiversity is crucial for biodiversity conservation under global environmental change. In this study, we present the first assessment of the patterns of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity for 171 mammals in the giant panda range and their associations with climate, land use factors and topographic heterogeneity. We found that functional diversity showed a very different pattern with species richness and phylogenetic diversity. Additionally, mammal assemblages were more functionally diverse but phylogenetically similar than expected by chance in very few regions after controlling for species richness. Furthermore, species richness was positively correlated with topographic heterogeneity, the proportion of forest, mean annual temperature and temperature anomaly and negatively correlated with annual precipitation and precipitation anomaly between current and historical periods, while both functional and phylogenetic diversity are predominantly correlated with climate factors. Specifically, higher functional and phylogenetic diversity was mainly found in regions with a lower proportion of cropland, annual precipitation, mean annual temperature and precipitation anomaly between current and historical periods. These results indicate the large mismatches of driving factors between taxonomic diversity and the other diversity facets and the importance of contemporary climate and land use conditions and climate anomaly between current and historical periods in determining mammal functional and phylogenetic diversity in the giant panda range. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of integrating multiple dimensions of diversity to infer the underlying processes determining the spatial pattern of biodiversity and to better inform conservation management and planning.

Weasels represent the most widely distributed and diverse lineage within the family Mustelidae. They have experienced adaptive radiation and have long been the subject of significant taxonomic debates. This study undertakes a comprehensive study of this group, employing morphological measurements, mitochondrial genomes, nuclear genes, and single copy orthologs extracted from whole genome data. Based on the outcomes of phylogenetic tree construction using orthologous genes, it is ultimately verified that the genera Mustela and Neogale are independent genera, thereby resolving the controversy regarding the species they encompass. Through molecular systematics and morphological studies, a putative Mustela species collected from Mabian Dafengding National Nature Reserve in Sichuan is confirmed as a new species, designated Mustela mopbie sp. nov. This new species exhibits molecular phylogenetic affinity with M. altaica and M. nivalis, yet shares morphological similarities with M. kathiah, M. nivalis and M. aistoodonnivalis. Notably, it is considerably smaller than these species and possesses distinctive body coloration and tail morphology. This study provides a detailed description of this new species and demonstrates that larger datasets yield more robust phylogenetic signal. Furthermore, we observed substantial incongruence between mitochondrial and nuclear gene trees, suggesting potential genomic introgression between this new species and its closely related congeners (M. altaica and M. nivalis).

Avian β-defensins (AvBDs) represent a key family of antimicrobial host defense peptides in birds. Accumulating evidence suggests that the evolutionary trajectory of β-defensin genes is specific to the gene, timescale, and species involved, implying that species-specific ecological and life-history differences drive divergent selective pressures on these genes. However, their evolutionary dynamics, particularly the interactions with ecological factors and life-history traits, remain insufficiently explored. Through a comprehensive survey of 25 species spanning all major clades of Galliformes, 354 AvBD genes were identified. Comparative sequence analysis, genomic organization, and phylogenetic studies collectively reveal significant evolutionary diversification characterized by gene duplication, pseudogenization, and gene loss across these species. Notably, chicken AvBD3 exhibits significant differences in its coding regions, while AvBD6 and AvBD7 appear to have copy number variations, with species-specific paralogs of AvBD6 being especially prominent. Moreover, positive selection was more frequently observed in recently diverged gene lineages compared to ancestral ones. Using 70 samples from eight galliform species, the study further identified the prevalence of species-specific amino acid alleles. Phylogenetic comparative analysis demonstrated that the evolution of nine AvBD genes (AvBD2, -4, -5, -8, -9, -10, -11, -12, and -14) is significantly associated with specific ecological factors and life-history characteristics. Additionally, the evolutionary rates of these genes showed distinct relationship with inferred infection risk, likely reflecting the multifunctionality of β-defensins and potential trade-offs between immune defense and other biological functions. This cross-species identification and systematic evolutionary analysis of AvBDs in Galliformes deepen our understanding of the co-evolution of host defense peptides, offering valuable insights into their natural biology and evolution, and paving the way for future applications as alternatives to traditional antibiotics.

Abstract As human activities continue to expand, wildlife persistence faces escalating threats from roads. In Wolong area of Giant Panda National Park, the local giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are divided into two population groups along the National Highway G350 (NHG). Therefore, selecting suitable areas to help those giant pandas communicate across the NHG is necessary. In this research, we evaluated the presence of human activities and simulated their absence to analyze how they affect the giant panda's habitat in Wolong. Subsequently, based on the kernel density estimation (KDE) for giant pandas and the main human distribution locations, we selected suitable areas for the population link between the two road sections on the NHG. We simulated the absence of human activities on the two road sections to compare changes in the habitat suitability index (HSI) and connectivity value (CV) relative to their presence. We aimed to carefully select the area for future giant panda corridor plans and simulate whether eliminating human activities will significantly improve the HSI and CV of the area. Our results show that: (1) Human activities presence has led to subtle changes in the landscape pattern of suitable habitats and a decrease in Wolong by 78.76 km2 compared to their absence. (2) Human activities presence significantly reduced HSI and CV in the 1000 m buffer along the NHG compared to their absence. (3) The HSI and CV of the 1000 m buffer in the simulated absence of human activities for the two road sections were significantly higher than their presence. This research identified the optimal road section for crossing the NHG to link giant panda population groups and habitats in Wolong. These insights are significant for formulating conservation decisions and corridor plans and for promoting wildlife conservation in reserves amid high levels of human activity.

Livestock grazing and the collection of bamboo shoots are the main threats to giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) habitat in the Liangshan Mountains in China. It is important to clarify the effect of these disturbances to the giant panda to formulate targeted management policies. Based on species distribution models and daily activity models, we investigated the effects of livestock grazing and bamboo shoot collection on giant pandas from May 2021 to July 2022. Our results indicated the giant panda's suitable habitat in the reserve covered 51.83 km2 (15.02% of the reserve area). Grazing and bamboo shoot collection led to losses of 19.08 km2 and 7.68 km2 of suitable habitat, respectively. Together, the 2 activities resulted in a loss of 28.35 km2 of suitable habitat, which was more than half of the area of panda habitat. The areas of suitable habitat for giant pandas significantly overlapped with the areas affected by both disturbances. Giant pandas did not show significant differences in daily activity rhythms under a single disturbance, but the daily activity rhythms of giant pandas differed when we compared the area combining the 2 disturbances with the undisturbed area. Our study reveals that the anthropogenic disturbances in the reserve have varying effects on the suitable habitat range and daily activity rhythm of giant pandas and evidence of a synergistic effect. Therefore, when formulating relevant conservation policies, it is important to fully evaluate the extent and characteristics of anthropogenic disturbances in shaping the population distribution and habitat preferences of the giant panda and other wildlife to enhance the efficacy of conservation management practices. This study employed a species distribution model and a daily activity model to quantify variations in the potential suitable habitat and daily activity rhythms of giant pandas in response to anthropogenic disturbance. We evaluated the degree to which different disturbances affect giant pandas and determined if the combined effects of multiple disturbances produced a compounded impact. image

Land-use changes lead to habitat loss and fragmentation, which poses a further threat to the survival of species. Therefore, it is crucial to analyze how land-use change affects its habitat. 37 counties in Sichuan Province, China, where giant pandas are distributed, were selected as the subjects. Through analyzing land-use change, habitat suitability and connectivity characteristics over the past 20 years, and establishing a correlation between them, the impacts of land-use change on the habitat suitability and connectivity of giant pandas were explained. The results showed that from 2000 to 2020, the different land-use areas in the study area showed a pattern of change with an increase in forest area, built-up area and water area, and a decrease in grassland area and cropland area. There were significant differences in the characteristics of land-use dynamics changes among counties. Changes in land-use dynamics have a significant impact on the habitat suitability and connectivity of giant pandas, which is manifested in the fact that the conversion of forestland to grassland and grassland to cultivated land significantly reduces habitat suitability, while the conversion of grassland to forestland and cultivated to forestland significantly increases the connectivity of giant panda habitats. Changes in the habitat suitability index were significantly and positively correlated with the land-use dynamics index and the land-use degree index. Our findings emphasize the importance of balancing socio-economic development, land-use, and conservation efforts to maintain giant panda habitat. Therefore, the development of rational land-use patterns in future management is key to maximizing the comprehensive social, economic and ecological benefits.

Climate change will impact the distribution of species and their preferred habitat, thereby influencing the ecological processes intrinsic to these species. To investigate these phenomena, we analyzed the habitat distribution, structure, and connectivity of 6 forest ungulate species in Southwest China under current and future climate scenarios. Habitat projections indicate that forest ungulates will migrate to the southwest at higher elevations and the northwest at higher latitudes and elevations in the study area under climate change. The extent to which climate change affects the 6 forest ungulates is quite different. By 2050, there will still be a certain range of habitats for migration in the study area, but the habitat quality of species will have decreased to varying degrees after migration. By 2070, most forest ungulates will begin to experience significant habitat loss and habitat quality decline. The migration of species habitat also leads to a change in species habitat structure. Habitat landscape quality declines for most forest ungulate species. The loss of patches at the junction habitat has a huge impact on species habitat connectivity. The number and distance of corridors between the marginal habitat patches and the core habitat patches increase to a certain extent. To better achieve biodiversity conservation, we should strengthen the restoration and connectivity management of fragmented habitats to protect and restore the current habitats of species. Examples include the management of specific key areas and the establishment of large-scale integrated protected areas such as the Giant Panda National Park.

The Chinese monal (Lophophorus lhuysii) is a large-sized and vulnerable (VU in IUCN) bird from southwestern China. This study applied 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing to comprehensively examine the gut microbiota of captive Chinese monals (located in Baoxing, Sichuan, China) across varying seasons and life stages. Dominant bacterial phyla identified included Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria. Significant seasonal and age-associated shifts were observed within specific bacterial groups, particularly marked by seasonal fluctuations in beta diversity. Moreover, linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) and functional predictions highlighted distinct winter signatures, indicating possible functional shifts in energy metabolism and disease resistance. In mid-aged adults, an expansion of Gamma-Proteobacteria suggested an elevated susceptibility of the gut microbiota of Chinese monals to chronic disorders and microbial imbalance. Putative pathogenic bacteria exhibited increased abundance in spring and summer, likely driven by temperature, host physiological cycles, interspecies interactions, and competition. These findings imply that the diversity, and structure of the gut microbiota in captive Chinese monals are strongly influenced by seasonal and age-related factors. The insights provided here are essential for improving breeding strategies and preventing gastrointestinal diseases in captivity.

为了解大熊猫保护地土地利用变化及其对生境质量的影响,本文以四川大熊猫栖息地所属的37个县(市、区)为研究区域,基于2000-2020年的土地利用数据和生境威胁因子数据,运用土地利用转移矩阵、土地利用动态度、景观格局指数及InVEST模型等研究方法,从土地利用变化视角对大熊猫保护地生境质量变化进行分析.结果表明:2000-2020年,研究区域土地利用变化主要为林地(+1.49％)、建设用地(+59.72％)和水域(+27.79％)面积增加,草地(-2.44％)和耕地(-2.14％)面积减少,变化类型以草地、林地相互转化以及耕地转为建设用地为主;研究区域生境质量变化与景观破碎度变化范围在空间上大致相同,景观破碎度高的地区,生境质量明显较低;生境质量空间上呈现"西高东低"的分布格局,生境质量改善(952.35 km2)的区域面积小于下降(1562.38 km2)的区域,但大熊猫栖息地范围内生境质量保持稳定;整体生境退化程度呈现上升的趋势,生境退化程度指数均值由2000年的0.018上升至2020年的0.022,且生境退化程度高和生境质量低的空间分布格局较为一致,主要分布在研究区域东部和南部地区.研究结果可以为大熊猫的栖息地保护与修复提供科学参考.

Habitat suitability assessment is the basis for wildlife conservation management and habitat restoration. It is a useful tool to understand the quality of wildlife habitat and its potential spatial distribution. In order to reveal the habitat suitability and connectivity of sambar ( Rusa unicolor ) to promote species and biodiversity conservation, this study collected records of sambar ( Rusa unicolor ) from over 2,000 camera traps in the forests of Southwest China in the past 5 years to assess the overall situation of their habitat. The results of the species distribution model revealed that the suitable habitat area for sambar in the five major mountain ranges (Minshan, Qionglai, Daxiangling, Xiaoxiangling, and Liangshan) in Southwest China is 18,231 km 2 , accounting for 17.02% of the total area. The most suitable habitat of sambar is primarily distributed in Qionglai, as well as the intersection areas of Daxiangling, Xiaoxiangling, and Minshan. The temperature annual range, temperature seasonality, elevation, and distance to road were important factors affecting the distribution of suitable habitat for sambar. Analysis of landscape pattern shows that there were 273 habitat patches, with a maximum patch area of 9,983 km 2 , accounting for 54.8% of the total suitable habitat area. However, the segmentation index and separation index of each habitat patch were 0.99 and 106.58, respectively, indicating a relatively high habitat fragmentation in the study area. The results of habitat connectivity analysis showed that the Qionglai mountains have the largest suitable habitat area and the highest connectivity among habitat patches. However, habitat connectivity between the five mountains is very low, suggesting that gene flow among these mountain ranges is probably limited. We therefore recommend strengthening protection of sambar and their habitat, with special attention to the establishment of corridors between the different mountain populations.

Informed zoning of protected areas to designate where certain activities can take place is important to their success. The conventional strategy has been to design protected areas based on flagship species; however, this has often proven ineffective for protecting other sympatric wildlife. Here, using China's Giant Panda National Park (GPNP) as an example, we evaluated the effectiveness of integrating multiple conservation parameters for flagship and sympatric endangered species to optimize zoning designations, without compromising or jeopardizing the primary goal of protecting giant pandas. We conducted a stepwise spatial prioritization according to taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity for 48 endangered bird and 23 mammal species. Conservation priority areas for each taxon were spatially congruent across diversity indices but differed between taxa. Species richness provided only a weak indicator of conservation values. The current designation scheme for giant panda protection performs moderately well in terms of sheltering sympatric endangered birds and mammals, but there is still scope for improvement. After balancing competing land uses, we identified 7731 km2 with the highest conservation values across taxa and diversity indices, with 26 % of this optimal priority area lying outside of current core protection zones of the GPNP. We recommend that GPNP's current zoning designation criteria are modified to conserve a broader range of species alongside giant pandas, especially to better protect sites from human disturbance. Our findings also have the broader potential to inform conservation planning for protected areas worldwide, enabling the protection of flagship species to be integrated with broader regional biodiversity conservation.

Comprehensive biodiversity protection necessitates the consideration of multiple indexes of diversity, and how the distribution patterns of priority areas may shift under climate change. Galliformes is a globally endangered avian order vulnerable to climate change that provide an important indicator for wildlife conservation effectiveness. Here, we identified priority areas for conserving Galliformes taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity in China and their spatial dynamics subject to climate change, and examined how well existing protected areas align with current and future priority areas.

为探索森林群落乔木层与林下大熊猫取食竹的相关关系,利用样线法和样方法,对大相岭大熊猫栖息地森林群落乔木层结构特征与林下冷箭竹(Bashania faberi)生长指标进行调查,构建线性混合模型(LMM)和广义线性混合模型(GLMM)进行分析.结果表明:(1)乔木郁闭度对冷箭竹平均高度影响显著,乔木株数对冷箭竹株数影响显著,乔木平均高度和平均胸径对冷箭竹发笋量、平均基径和平均高度影响显著.(2)冷箭竹发笋量、平均高度和平均基径均随乔木平均高度和乔木平均胸径增加而增加;冷箭竹株数随乔木株数增加而减少;冷箭竹平均高度随乔木层郁闭度增加而减少.本研究以期为该区域大熊猫栖息地的恢复提供量化依据.

The key bird species to be guarded against in the airport are the main bird-strike-causing species. It is of great significance to scientifically evaluate the bird-strike risks of different birds for the prevention of bird strikes in airport. In this study, the birds at Nanchong Gaoping Airport were investigated by the transect method and net capture method in 2021. A total of 60 species of birds were recorded, belonging to 33 families, 15 orders. The results showed that compared with 21 species in 2007, 25 species of key birds were found in 2021, among which 10 new species were increased and 6 species were lost. 15 species of birds, such as Columba livia and Hirundo rustica, had the same evaluation results. The main factors influencing the changes of bird species mainly include: the changes of ecological environment, the effective implementation of bird strike prevention at the airport and the enhancement of bird protection awareness. In combination with the biological characteristics of birds and the ecological environment around the airport, the suggestions on reducing the flowering and fruiting of plants in the flight area, controlling the grass height, killing insects and cleaning up the stagnant water environment were put forward for the airport, and some specific preventive measures were proposed for key bird species.

Context Studies of distribution and habitat utilisation of sympatric animals, especially those experiencing population increases, are useful for understanding their specialised habitat niches and interspecies relationships, in addition to developing effective protection strategies. Aims As a species that lives within the range of the giant panda, the sambar population has been increasing in the past few decades in Southwest China. In this paper, we aimed to analyse the overlap in habitat area and habitat suitability between giant panda and sambar in Wolong National Nature Reserve to examine potential sympatric species competition in the context of wildlife conservation. Methods We ran MaxEnt models based on giant panda occurrence sign locations (n = 316) and sambar presence locations (n = 598). In addition, we predicted the core and secondary habitat for the two species to assess the degree of competition across a gradient of habitat conditions. Key results Our analysis detected significant habitat overlap between the two species – up to 75.96% in their potential habitat, with suitability overlap indices reaching 0.74. Conclusions These results indicate that the similarity of habitat requirements of the two species is high in our study area. In addition, the competition over space utilisation between the two species’ populations could intensify in the future as the sambar population increases. Implications Our results suggest that habitat restoration and corridor construction could be recommended as conservation strategies for future wildlife conservation in China’s Giant Panda National Park. Moreover, future wildlife conservation should pay greater attention to the niche overlap and interspecific competition among sympatric species. We suggest strengthening habitat restoration and corridors for all key species in the region, not just giant pandas, to alleviate the increased competition associated with niche overlap among sympatric species.