Endangered Species

An endangered species is a species whose population is so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct. Extinction is when an animal no longer exists. Many countries have laws offering special protection to these species (forbidding hunting, banning their habitats from development, etc.) to prevent this.

The main reason an animal becomes endangered is because of destruction of their natural habitat, plus hunting or poaching. With the pandas there are additional difficulties with mating and problems with their food source, bamboo dying off.

The results of a new comprehensive survey of the giant panda in the wild indicate there are 1,600 animals left in the wild. This number is higher than previous estimates, due to improved census methods and the fact that the study was very thorough. Wild pandas are still one of the most seriously endangered species in the world.

Pandas were classified as an endangered species in the 1980’s, and are on the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threatened Animals. The United States’ Endangered Species Act protects the giant pandas, as does the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Habitat

Habitat is the environment where an animal lives. The panda habitat was once widespread in southern and eastern China, Vietnam and Myanmar (Burma), but their habitat has been greatly reduced over time. Today the habitat of the panda is limited to the mountains in only a few provinces of southwestern China. Most are in the Sichuan Province, but they are also found in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Their range is along the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau.

The species has lived for centuries in coniferous forests with dense undergrowth of bamboo, at elevations of 5,000 to 11,000 feet. Rain or dense mist throughout the year shrouds these remote forests in heavy clouds. In the winter snow is common.

The panda’s primary food source is bamboo. The bamboo grows under the shade cover of the large fir trees in the mountains. Giant pandas do not seem to have a permanent den, since they do not hibernate. In the winter, they will seek shelter in hollow trees.

The destruction of the pandas’ natural habitat, which is the bamboo forests, and expanding human populations are the main threats to the giant panda. The impact of rapid human population growth has seen the destruction of a large part of their habitat. Logging and clearing the land for agricultural uses is a major factor in the reduction of bamboo. In an effort to protect the panda, the Chinese government forbids logging in the panda reserves.

The 40 panda reserves in China need to be connected via corridors in order to reduce isolation and fragmentation of the panda population. Fragmentation is when the pandas live in separate areas or the areas are broken up. Villages and human activities block open range for their migration or movement.

The fragmentation of panda areas is one problem with their mating. Another problem related to the fragmentation of the panda areas is that the bamboo will flower and then die off about every 20 to 40 years. When this occurs the pandas need to migrate to a new area. There have been reports of pandas starving when they are unable to find bamboo in new areas.

Today, the panda forests are under attack by dramatic increases in human population. Agriculture, ranching, logging, trapping, and human settlement dramatically threaten their habitat. Previously they have lived at lower elevations. However farming and clearing of the forest have now pushed them higher into the mountains.

In the past poaching has been a problem for the pandas, but the government has enacted severe punishment for anyone caught killing a panda. Sometimes, pandas are caught in traps intended for other animals and are either injured or killed.

Mating of pandas is difficult. In the wild, pandas live in seclusion, except during the breeding season. Breeding maturity for pandas is generally between four and eight years. Females breed only once a year, in the spring. The female’s reproductive period is only a few days. In the wild, pandas use scent markings and calls to locate a mate during the reproduction period. If there is not a male in the area, or if the male cannot reach the female due to obstructions in their path such as roads or power lines, they will not mate.

Pandas nest on the ground or in hollow trees, giving birth approximately 100 to 150 days after they have mated. Females give birth to one or two cubs. Triplets are extremely rare. If twins are born, usually only one survives in the wild. Cubs will stay with their mothers for about two years, thus females only reproduce every other year. The cubs are extremely small, about 8 ounces, and very fragile so their survival a challenge.