-By u6126787

For answering the question, at the end of 2011, the total number of giant pandas in China was about 1,000, and there were 333 pandas in captivity worldwide. By the end of 2013, the number of wild giant pandas in China reached 1864, an increase of 16.8%. As of November 2019, the global population of captive giant pandas reached 600. It can be seen from the data that the increase in the number of pandas is largely due to human intervention.

This time I was fortunate to interview Dr. Zhang Zhihe, the research director of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. We can understand some specific breeding problems faced by giant pandas from him.

How do pandas live?

Giant pandas have lived on the earth for at least 8 million years and are known as “living fossils” and “Chinese national treasures.” It lives in dense bamboo forests at an altitude of 2600-3500 meters, where the air is thin all year round and the temperature are below 20°C. The habitat needs to have sufficient bamboo, and the topography and distribution of water sources are conducive to the species’ nesting and hiding and nurturing of young. Giant pandas cut half of their eating time every day, and most of the remaining half of the time is spent in their sleep. Its low fertility level is the point that people focus on protection. At the end of 2016, IUCN downgraded the threat level of giant pandas from “endangered” to “vulnerable”. However, panda is still a threaten species which means it is a species with a high probability of extinction.

Why giant pandas are endangered？

There are various unfavourable factors that lead to the scarcity of giant pandas. The internal reason is the high degree of specialization of feeding habits, reproductive ability and juvenile behaviour. The external reason is that the habitat is destroyed, forming discrete islands, leading to population segmentation, inbreeding, and species degradation. Due to early human activities, the ecological environment was destroyed, resulting in the reduction of its habitat area. Pandas have a single food source and only eat bamboo. Once bamboo is destroyed, its survival will be affected. The reproductive capacity of pandas is very low. This is reflected in the fact that its reproductive system is susceptible to certain bacterial infections, which reduces the female’s egg laying rate and the male’s desire to mate. This is also a major cause of the imminent extinction of pandas. Baby pandas have a low survival rate, are highly dependent on their place of residence, and have poor adaptability to environmental changes.

In the future, what efforts do we need to do to sustain its growth?

The direction of the current research lies in the protection of the genetic diversity of giant pandas and the prevention and control of diseases. Although pandas are usually docile, once they become angry, they are very fierce and difficult to control. Even for a sick panda, scientists have to first put her asleep before completing her examination, diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, if you want to be a real giant panda doctor, you not only need to understand genetics, but you must also be proficient in giant panda anesthesia techniques.

Acknowledgements: 

Many thanks to Dr. Zhang zhihe for sharing with me the data and some results of their research in recent years.