The giant panda has become the unofficial symbol for wildlife protection and sustainability in general. In spite of widespread publicity for the plight of the panda and over 20 years of international conservation work, the panda is amongst the top 3 most critically endangered of animals. In 2011, it is estimated that there are maximum 1000 individuals in the wild. 140 panda’s live in zoo’s, mainly in China.

Giant pandas are biologically unique. They are closely related to bears but they do not hibernate and have the digestive system of a carnivore. They have adapted to a vegetarian diet and depend almost exclusively on bamboo as a food source. Not designed to process plant matter, the panda's digestive system cannot break down the cellulose in bamboo. Therefore during 16 hours a day panda’s eat 40 kg of bamboo.

About 99% of a panda's diet is bamboo.

A 6 year old male giant panda, eating bamboo, Wolong Nature Reserve, China.

Originally, panda territory included South and East China and parts of Myanmar and Northern Vietnam. Fossil evidence shows that pandas lived almost as far north as Beijing. Studies have shown that between 1973 and 1984, the habitat of panda has schrincked with 50%. Today, pandas are found in six isolated forest areas.

Panda populations are currently isolated in narrow belts of bamboo no more than 1 to 2 km wide, called pocket panda populations. The chinese government restricts bamboo harvesting within panda current habitat, protecting panda survival on the short term. However, until these bellts are substantially enlarged and stretched to additional bamboo area, panda survival remains at risk on the long term. Current pocket panda populations must get access to breed with others. Therefore much larger parts of the historic range of panda habitat should be refrained from uncontrolled bamboo forestry.

The giant panda's current habitat has shrunk to a fraction of its original size

The giant panda’s current habitat has shrunk to a fraction of its original size., China.

Why would a panda starve?

Bamboo suffers from a curious cycle where once every 15-100 years, depending on the bamboo type, it will die and begin growing again from new seed, a process called 'die-back'. Normally there is only one type of bamboo in the same forest and it takes 20 years before a new type of bamboo has grown enough to support panda population. Throughout history, bamboo die-back made panda population migrate to new territories.

Now, due to deforestation, ‘bamboo-die-back’ causes pandas not to find other types of bamboo at the neigbouring mountain. The result is catastrophic and has caused panda to risk extinction. In 1992, in northern Sichuan, after the umbrella bamboo suffered a die-back, at least 138 pandas starved to death.

If there are no corridors open to the giant panda in their search for a new food, they will die of starvation.

Shi Junyi studying dead bamboo. Wolong nature reserve, Sichuan Province, China.

Poaching of pandas is not a real threat. Since 1944 few poachers risk the consequence: life imprisonment.

Habitat loss through fragmentation is the most important threat to the panda. Large areas of bamboo forest have been cleared for timber and fuel wood. Now, panda’s live in 29 habitats. These zones are like islands of wilderness that contain the two essential ingredients for panda survival: bamboo and other pandas.

The Chinese government, in partnership with WWF, is doing efforts to link the isolated panda habitats with corridors of bamboo forest. Efforts to establish new bamboo forest are in permanent conflict with local government supported by the international wood industry. For new panda wildlife to settle, at least 50 years of sustained bamboo forest management is requiered.

Tang Jia He Nature Reserve, Sichuan province, China.

Minimize locals need to use panda habitat to provide for their livelihood, is the first step for the current critical status to deteriorate further. A 1998 logging ban implemented by the Chinese government helped to slow the habitat destruction, but illegal logging still is overwhelming.

Traditional bee-keeping is an environmentally friendly alternative livelihood which local communities have increasing interest in developing. Constraints include quality of honey and a lack of stable market demands. A better marketing channel for honey would promote alternative livelihood development in local Baima communities, who live in a panda corridor area and currently depend on bamboo forestry.

WWF China's Panda Program concentrates on implementing projects in Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces (the habitat of the giant panda). Bamboo harvesting restriction to the fraction of current panda habitat only, is one of the main threats for the panda species survival.

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/2010/07/23/imperiled-giant-pandas-need-replanted-bamboo-forests-in-order-to-reconnect/

Baima woman showing a honey comb. Sichuan Province, China.