But the black-and-white bears have long suffered for their irresistible qualities—poached for their pelts, smuggled out of the country as cubs to the U. But this summer, pandas also became a global symbol of conservation success. Chinese officials announced that the animals—whose wild population has almost doubled after 30 years of government-led recovery efforts —are no longer endangered.
In , the International Union for Conservation of Nature had already downlisted the giant panda from endangered to vulnerable , citing a steadily increasing population and expanded habitat. But some Chinese scientists and officials rejected that assessment, saying it was premature and could undermine panda protection efforts. Much has been achieved since And the number of pandas in captive-breeding programs around the world has nearly doubled, to Read how the new panda park will be three times the size of Yellowstone.
Widespread deforestation and habitat fragmentation restrict pandas in the wild to less than one percent of their historic range. And new threats loom. Their numbers in Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, an important panda refuge, nearly tripled from in to more than 1, in Male takins can be dangerous, particularly during rutting season.
During a nine-year period in the Qinling Mountains, they killed 22 people and injured Takins strip bark from trees for food , exposing them to deadly fungal infections and insects. As a result, the composition of the forest changes—fewer large trees, more shrubby undergrowth. Pandas mark trees with a waxy substance secreted from glands beneath their tails as a way to communicate and find mates.
But when takins rub against trees to relieve itchiness, they can eliminate or diminish the scent marks. According to Wang, northern Chinese boars may be even more troublesome for pandas.
Both are protected in China. But Japanese love and adore giant pandas. Believe me, pandas are naturally lovable and cute, despite their clumsy, solitary, and lazy nature. There are 1, giant pandas in the wild and over pandas in captivity.
Despite the efforts from the Chinese government, the pandas are not completely safe from the danger of deforestation due to climate change. However, there is a high chance that the panda population will continue to increase and remain safe in the coming years. There are less than 10, red pandas in the world presently. Their habitat was constantly destroyed by deforestation, farming, road construction, and more. But the Indian and Chinese governments have continued to do everything possible to protect the lives of these creatures.
One major reason the giant pandas were considered as being endangered is the loss of habitat. As the number of people in China was increasing, there was a need for more houses to accommodate inhabitants.
Sometimes, the pandas are left with nothing to eat and their habitat becomes too small to house them. Luckily, the Chinese government planted more bamboo, thereby creating more habitats for the pandas. Whatever happens, the giant pandas must continue to in the world!
So far, all measures put in place have produced a positive result. Now, the giant pandas are no longer at risk of going into extinction soon. We said there are 1, giant pandas in the wild as of now and over of them in captivity. View our Cookie Policy. I accept. Please note: This page has been archived and its content may no longer be up-to-date. This version of the page will remain live for reference purposes as we work to update the content across our website.
The latest census in found that there were 1, giant pandas alive in the wild. If you could choose any wild animal or zoo resident to keep at home as a pet, what would you choose? If you're like many kids, you'd soon have a giant panda to cuddle up with at night. But would a giant panda make a good pet? Sure, they're cute.
Who can resist those pudgy bodies and adorable faces? They look so cuddly that you just want to pinch their cheeks and give them a hug. They would be a real chore to take care of, though. First of all, they eat A LOT.
An adult giant panda eats about 12 hours each day. Over the course of that time, it consumes about pounds of bamboo.
That also means that pandas have to use the bathroom dozens of times a day. That's a lot of clean-up! So it's probably best to leave the pandas in the wild and in the zoos.
Unfortunately, there aren't many pandas left in either place these days. If you want to see a giant panda in the wild, you'll have to visit the cool, wet bamboo forests of the remote , mountainous regions of central China. You'll also have to be super sneaky, as pandas have an advanced sense of smell that helps them keep their distance from predators — and other pandas.
Giant pandas tend to live a mostly solitary existence. They do search for mates in the spring, and females will give birth to a cub or two in the fall. Unfortunately, the giant panda 's birth rate is quite low. Pandas in the wild have only recently been able to begin to replenish their numbers thanks to ongoing conservation efforts worldwide.
Estimates of wild panda populations vary wildly. Some experts believe there are as few as 1, giant pandas left in the wild. Other scientists believe there are about 1, pandas left. A recent study using DNA analysis, however, concludes that there could be as many as 3, pandas still in the wild. In addition to wild pandas, there are about pandas in zoos, mostly within China.
These beautiful, peaceful creatures are adored by millions of people around the world. In their homeland of China, they're considered a national treasure. They have few natural predators. So why are they so rare? Who is their worst enemy? Sadly, it's us. Human beings are the reason so few pandas roam the forests of China today. In the past, pandas were hunted for their valuable furs.
Poaching has declined in recent years, due to new laws and greater public awareness of conservation efforts. The biggest problem, however, resulted from habitat loss that began in earnest around when China experienced a population boom.
Increased development led to deforestation and farming, all of which drove many pandas out of the lowland areas where they once used to live. As roads and railroads were built through these areas, the forests the pandas called home became increasingly fragmented.
For solitary animals that struggled to mate successfully, mating became even more difficult. Perhaps more critically, destruction of their native forests destroyed much of the bamboo pandas relied upon to survive.
Fortunately, some scientists believe that panda populations are once again on the rise. The Chinese government has opened over 50 panda reserves, which is over four times as many as existed just a couple decades ago. Once listed as an endangered species, the giant panda has recently been upgraded to "vulnerable" status, an indication that conservation efforts are working. With continued conservation efforts, there is good reason to hope that giant pandas will once again rise to the levels that existed in the past.
We hope you haven't had your fill of fluffy cuteness just yet. Explore one or more of the following activities with a friend or family member for even more panda-rific fun! Yes, pandas are on the endangered species list. It's not as simple as having one pair in a zoo having babies, though. Don't forget we have to think about their habitat in the wild! Thanks for checking! We agree - even though pandas are adorable, they aren't pets.
And unfortunately, they are endangered due to a variety of reasons, including habitat loss :. We agree. Unfortunately, though, due primarily to habitat loss, pandas are an endangered species.
It is very unfortunate that in the past, pandas were hunted for their valuable furs. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Nicholas. Thank you so much for putting this up on wonderopolis. We learnd so much that pandas eat 20 to 40 pounds a day and what they eat is only in china.
Again thank you so much. Hi, Aiden! We hope you do some more research to find out how pandas sleep! Let us know what you find! It is unfortunate that Pandas are so rare.
Thanks for your conern, Liam. Unfortunately, habitat loss due to deforestation is one of the main reasons why pandas are endangered. Hi, Nate! Are you referring to the panda mask we mention under the "Try It Out" section? We hope you had fun making the mask! I agree with you Annie! What human begins would kill such a cute little animal?! They are so adorable!!! Thanks for sharing, Annie! It is very sad that pandas are endangered due to human activity and habitat loss. Fortunately, though, some scientists believe that panda populations are on the rise again!
Thanks for asking, mia! We ask that Wonderopolis be listed as the author. Also, if you are citing this Wonder for research, since we do not list a publish date for our Wonders of the Day, you may use the date you accessed this page for information. The following is how your would cite this page:. Accessed 12 Jan. Good point about the pandas, Jay. They are still bears , after all. Thanks for sharing! That's fantastic, Unitato! You are inspiring us today! Thanks for checking out this Wonder and for caring about pandas!
Great question, Peyton! Do a little digging and see if you can find the answer to that one. Let us know what you come up with!
They are pretty adorable. Do you ever Wonder what makes some animals just universally cuter than others? Hey, Jonathon! You might be happy to learn that pandas were recently downgraded to "vulnerable" status instead of endangered! Read about it at National Geographic! Many zoos and conversation organizations are working to boost populations of pandas and also protect their habitat and food sources from being destroyed.
You can help by spreading the news about pandas to others. Hi, Wonder Friend! Thanks for looking out for the pandas! We're glad you're advocating for them!
Great question, Kevin! We hope this Wonder was informative! Find more ideas by continuing to research! Have fun! Hi, Riley! We agree, panda are super cute! Keep up your enthusiastic attitude for helping pandas! We appreciate you taking time to leave a comment! Thanks for sharing what you learned, jayden! We hope as people learn more about it, panda numbers keep rising. Thanks for your comment, Lilah! Unfortunately, pandas are endangered. We hope you continue to spread awareness about them!
We do, too, Maddie! They are fun to learn about. We hope you enjoyed this Wonder all about pandas! Hi, Maddie! Thanks for joining the conversation! We hope it's helpful! Hi, Areesha! Pandas are sweet animals. However, they grow very big and need certain habitats. Welcome, Mr. Thanks for the KIND words! We agree, merissa! We encourage you to keep learning about them at your library. Hi, joey! Pandas are cute! We hope you enjoyed this Wonder!
We encourage you to keep researching pandas at your library and online. They are amazing animals! Hi, taylor! We are glad there are new regulations in place and many efforts being taken to help the panda population. Hopefully, one day, pandas will be on the rise again!
Thanks for your comment and caring about animals!
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