The Giant Pander Endangerment
The Giant Panda Endangerment
Yu Yin
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is an animal that is loved all over the world. It is also known as the panda bear, bamboo bear, or, in Chinese, as Daxiongmao, the “large bear cat”. This bear-like animal has black fur on its ears, around its eyes and nose, on all of its legs, and across its shoulders; the rest of its body is white. Due to the distinctive appearance of the giant panda, this animal has long been considered a symbol of China. Giant pandas are found in the mountains of central China in the rainy bamboo forests of Shanxi, Gansu, and Sichuan. These mountains are covered in heavy clouds, and torrential rains, or dense mist, occur throughout the year. However, “Giant pandas now are an extremely rare mammal in the world, with probably less than 1,000 left in the wild” (Pretes 2009). There are two main causes of the giant panda becoming endangered: natural and human. The natural reason why the number of giant pandas is not large is that the reproductive capacity of the giant panda is much worse than that of any other mammal. Moreover, human destruction of habitat and poaching are two main threats to pandas. “The price of panda fur rises, which can bring up to $200,000 in Japan” (Kennedy 2000). However, many people are attempting to rescue these lovely creatures by using a variety of approaches. They are trying to increase the chances of the giant panda’s survival through the construction of natural reserves, the improvement of the panda’s reproductive capacity, and the support of conservation organizations.
Building natural reserves to achieve habitat protection is an essential step for increasing the chance of the giant panda’s survival. Giant pandas, like all creatures, have certain requirements in order to live. A food source is vital to their survival; building natural reserves not only satisfies the food requirement, but also provides a habitat for pandas. Pandas usually stay in areas of fargesia
Yu Yin
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is an animal that is loved all over the world. It is also known as the panda bear, bamboo bear, or, in Chinese, as Daxiongmao, the “large bear cat”. This bear-like animal has black fur on its ears, around its eyes and nose, on all of its legs, and across its shoulders; the rest of its body is white. Due to the distinctive appearance of the giant panda, this animal has long been considered a symbol of China. Giant pandas are found in the mountains of central China in the rainy bamboo forests of Shanxi, Gansu, and Sichuan. These mountains are covered in heavy clouds, and torrential rains, or dense mist, occur throughout the year. However, “Giant pandas now are an extremely rare mammal in the world, with probably less than 1,000 left in the wild” (Pretes 2009). There are two main causes of the giant panda becoming endangered: natural and human. The natural reason why the number of giant pandas is not large is that the reproductive capacity of the giant panda is much worse than that of any other mammal. Moreover, human destruction of habitat and poaching are two main threats to pandas. “The price of panda fur rises, which can bring up to $200,000 in Japan” (Kennedy 2000). However, many people are attempting to rescue these lovely creatures by using a variety of approaches. They are trying to increase the chances of the giant panda’s survival through the construction of natural reserves, the improvement of the panda’s reproductive capacity, and the support of conservation organizations.
Building natural reserves to achieve habitat protection is an essential step for increasing the chance of the giant panda’s survival. Giant pandas, like all creatures, have certain requirements in order to live. A food source is vital to their survival; building natural reserves not only satisfies the food requirement, but also provides a habitat for pandas. Pandas usually stay in areas of fargesia
References: Anna, C. (2004). Giant panda. New York: Heinemann Library. (2005, October). Giant panda habitat selection in Foping Nature Reserve, China. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 69(4), 1623-1632. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3803521 Society for the Study of Reproduction (2012, April 4). Reproductive seasonality observed in male giant pandas World Wildlife Fund. What do Panda Eat? Retrieved June 24, 2012 from http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/giant_panda/panda/what_do_pandas_they_eat/