Pandas

     I’m sure about everyone in the world knows that panda bears are an endangered species. But I did not realize how many we actually can account for. In a recent news article by CNN, they reported that a panda cub in Washington D.C., just barely a week old, died of unknown causes Sunday morning. In that same article, they stated that there are about 1,900 pandas left in the world.
     In another article by Yahoo about this same cub, they said that the first panda couple was given to the United States after Nixon’s trip to China in 1972. China has been sending their “National Treasure” to other countries as a symbol of gratitude since the Tang dynasty.
     Pandas are one of my favorite animals. Of course I love all baby animals, but bear cubs are some of my favorite. Both of the articles caught my attention and I really wish I had more time to research pandas and China’s history of how they care for pandas and how they decide to breed and relocate pandas as they have only given a few to select zoos in America and to other countries in the world. I also want to know why there are so few pandas in the first place.
     I think it is probably a good thing that we are making great efforts to breed pandas and bring their population up. I’m not sure, though again, how many pandas they have in the wild, in zoos, breeding places, etc. so I’m not sure if I can give my input on how I wouldn’t like if all the pandas were in enclosures.
     I wish that we would treat more endangered species like pandas and put more effort into bringing their populations up. I feel that it is really important that we do our best to keep species alive not only to show how amazing they are to generations after us but so that we don’t lose them as an important part of our ecosystem.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/23/us/national-zoo-panda/index.html?npt=NP1

http://news.yahoo.com/1-week-old-panda-cub-dies-national-zoo-163740820--abc-news-topstories.html