Why are giant pandas in danger?

One of the reasons pandas are in danger is due to the nature of their highly specialized diet. Pandas live almost exclusively on a diet of bamboo and must consume large amounts of this plant to maintain their large volume. They can also supplement their diet with honey, bananas, oranges, yams, bush leaves, and fish or eggs.

The natural habitat of giant pandas can be found in the mountain ranges of central China, but it is gradually being driven out of its natural habitat by agriculture and deforestation. The situation is now so dire that only 1,590 giant pandas are recorded living in the wild. Pandas have a very low birth rate, further threatening the survival of the species.

Poaching had a far-reaching effect on the giant panda population, and demand for giant panda skins from the West and places like Japan and Hong Kong led to an alarming drop in the wild panda population. Hunting of these beautiful animals was banned as early as 1930, leading to illegal poaching as the demand for exotic skins grew.

Conservation efforts are having a positive impact on the number of giant pandas, which is estimated to have risen to 3,000 and in 2006 there were as many as 40 panda reserves in China. These areas have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in an attempt to preserve the natural habitats of the giant panda and its smaller cousins.

Specialized reserves, parks and zoos are taking an active interest in preserving the panda’s natural habitat, striving to preserve this unique animal and its natural environment for generations to come. Captive breeding programs are now increasing pandas numbers, although some argue that this is a futile exercise as there is not enough natural habitat left to support them.