Current listing status/extinction risk
Fan Zhiyoung, a Species Program director for the World Wide Fund in China, said in a 2009 interview that “[giant pandas] may face extinction within two to three generations” (Peter Foster, 2009). Zhiyoung suggested that people should "stop and think that as a Chinese national treasure and a globally protected species" people should plan ahead to not brother the giant panda in their housing and development. ("Pandas Extinct Within Three Generations," 2009) Luckily, so far the giant pandas in zoos are thriving and not encountering outside threats. However, in the wild, giant pandas are facing major threats that contribute to their demise. (“Threats to giant pandas”, n.d.) The speed of their increasing disappearance is estimated by professionals to be around 100 and 1,000 times higher than in the natural cycle, contributing to the sixth mass extinction of the Earth. |
Major Threats / Factors to decline in biodiversity
Main Dangers
All of the main dangers leads to the giant panda's "widespread loss, degradation and fragmentation" which leads to population decreases.(“Threats to giant pandas”, n.d.) Mostly caused by the continue human activity in the giant panda's habitat such as the Yangtze River Basin are pushing the giant panda high up into the mountains where it is surround by the cool and moist bamboo forest. One of man kinds most common activities is deforestation. Deforestation of the bamboo forests are one of the biggest danger and threat to the giant panda since it is one of the only meal they eat. ("Giant Panda," n.d.) |