Giant Pandas: China’s Natural Treasure

A giant panda (大熊猫 dàxióngmāo) is considered a “national treasure” in China because it’s native to central China. It is also seen as a symbol of vulnerable and endangered species. In fact, in 1961, the giant panda became the logo of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Although the giant panda doesn’t have many natural predators, its population is driven to near extinction due to human threats; approximately 1,800 pandas remain. One of the main reasons for the declining population is habitat destruction. The destruction of the pandas’ habitat is a direct cause of food shortages. Pandas live in forested mountains with dense bamboo. They usually eat about twenty six to eighty four pounds of bamboo each day. As a result, as its natural habitat declines, the Chinese government is trying their best to preserve them. They’ve established natural reserves to protect the pandas’ precious bamboo forests. These efforts have shown positive results as the panda’s population has slowly expanded since then. In fact, in 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) changed the panda’s status from “endangered” to “vulnerable.” Additionally, the Chinese government has established strict laws to protect their “natural treasures.” Now, there are serious punishments for poaching or smuggling pandas; the minimum sentence is ten years in prison and a fine.

In an effort to continue to sustain the giant panda’s population, breeding centers have worked tirelessly. The giant panda has an extremely low birth rate (one cub every two years), and usually, female pandas can only give birth to one cub at a time. These breeding centers can ensure the safety of all their giant pandas, and as a result, pandas have had a slightly longer life expectancy while living at a breeding center rather than in the wild.

Sources:

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/giant-panda

https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-do-pandas-eat-and-other-giant-panda-facts#:~:text=Pandas%20subsist%20almost%20entirely%20on,to%2084%20pounds%20per%20day.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/giant-panda

https://www.fws.gov/international/animals/giant-pandas.html

https://www.chinahighlights.com/giant-panda/breeding.htm

https://www.chinahighlights.com/giant-panda/protect-panda.htm

Giant Panda