Panda Research

     I became more interested in Giant Pandas after reading an article about a baby panda that died in a zoo of an unknown cause. As I was writing a blog about this article, I realized how little I actually knew about pandas like why they are declining in population, and where they are located around the world.
     After researching I have found some answers to some of my questions. Pandas live naturally in high in forests in western china. Their diet consists of mainly bamboo in which they need to consume about 26-84 pounds per day. Pandas can grow from the size of a stick of butter when born to 330 pounds after they’ve grown up.
     Pandas contribute to the environment by spreading seeds around the forest. In doing so, forests flourish more easily. Also, they bring ecotourism which is great for the economy. But as human populations grow and need for transportation of goods increases, more railways and roads are built through parts of forests where pandas live. Because of new roads and railways, it is harder for pandas to mate. The populations are separated and isolated from each other. More than 50 panda reserves have been established but only 61% of the population is protected by these areas.
     A main effort in helping pandas is breeding. In select places around the world like zoos and special breeding facilities are trying to breed pandas to boost the population. Of course the jobs of these places wouldn’t be as necessary if roads and railways wouldn’t have been built through major panda habitats.
     As with any species, it would be tragic to lose such a beautiful creature. It’s great that there are so many efforts to help pandas like WWF (http://worldwildlife.org/species/giant-panda) where I got most of this information from. Pandas are in the middle of a chart that shows stages of extinction. They are endangered meaning they are “facing a high risk of becoming extinct in the wild”.  There is such a stage as being totally extinct meaning there are no known animals of that species living. Then one up in the chart is extinct in the wild which means the only living ones are held in captivity. I hope there will be even more reservations established in the future and less roads blocking populations which seems like a simple resolution in my mind.