A symbol needs saving

The Giant Panda has captured the hearts of people around the world and become an enduring symbol of conservation efforts to save endangered species. One of the favorite attractions at zoos, the panda is extremely rare. It is difficult to calculate exactly how many pandas are left, but an estimated 800 live in the wild and roughly 100 live in captivity, mostly in zoos, breeding centers and special reserves in China. Yet despite all the attention to its plight and international efforts to save the panda, there is a real risk that it will become extinct.

Once the Giant Panda roamed mountain lowlands from Myanmar through northern Vietnam and much of eastern and southern China; but farming, development and clear-cutting have destroyed the bamboo forests that make up their natural habitat. The loss of habitat and encroaching human settlement forced pandas to retreat higher into the mountains where they are isolated and unable to travel to bamboo groves that can still sustain them.

Scientists do not know if the Giant Panda’s distinctive black and white markings are camouflage suited to their mountain homes or if it allows the solitary animals to recognize one another. Unfortunately, their distinctive fur also makes them attractive prey for poachers. And though they are protected in reserves, pandas are sometimes killed in illegal traps intended for antelopes and deer.