(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Gzen92)
Giant pandas are at risk of extinction, and China is trying to save them. US-born Bei Bei and other foreign-born pandas support the mission.
Foreign-Born Pandas in China For 'Panda Diplomacy'
Giant pandas born outside of China, like Bei Bei, are adjusting to life anew after years of enthralling millions of people with their fluffy bodies and awkward behaviors. Beijing's "panda diplomacy" involves lending the fluffy envoys to foreign zoos, and the offspring are brought back to China to participate in breeding operations shortly after birth.
Additionally, they are unaware of their diplomatic responsibilities or the critical role they could play in preventing the extinction of their species as they munch on bamboo while sitting in lush surroundings in conservation centers in southwest China.
Zhang Hermin, the head expert at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), told reporters on a recent press tour that we must replenish the wild panda populations in captivity. According to him, their work is intense and urgent.
During the fourth national giant panda census, the team discovered that our natural population had created 33 giant populations. However, 22 of these groups are pretty small in number. In the next 30 to 50 years, they might endanger going extinct if we don't assist them.
According to Qi Dunwu of the Dujiangyan Reintroduction and Breeding Research Center, pandas were initially brought into captivity in the 1980s to prevent hunger. They are native to mountain regions in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. Zhang claims that although most were eventually released, a breeding scheme has caused the number of captives to over 700.
According to Qi, twelve captive pandas—eleven from CCRCGP and one from a different organization—have been released into the wild since 2003, with ten surviving.
In addition, Qi said, authorities must ensure the mammals are relocated to areas with enough bamboo and room and prepare them for the risks of living in the wild.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), an environmental organization, estimates that 1,860 giant pandas remain in the wild. Although the International Union for Conservation of Nature removed the creatures from its endangered species list in 2016, habitat degradation and fragmentation continue to pose a major threat.
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What Are Giant Pandas?
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), also known as the panda bear or just the panda, is an indigenous bear found in China. Its round body and black-and-white coat define it.
The term "giant panda" is occasionally employed to differentiate it from the nearby musteloid red panda. Adults weigh between 100 and 115 kg (220 and 254 lb) on average, and length ranges from 1.2 to 1.9 m (3 feet 11 in to 6 feet 3 in).
The males of the species tend to be 10-20% larger than females, indicating sexual dimorphism. The fur is white overall, with black markings around the eyes, ears, legs, and shoulders.
Pandas play a crucial role in forests. Their habitat's exceptional biological variety surpasses that of tropical ecosystems and is unmatched in the temperate world. Giant pandas serve as prime examples of umbrella species that protect a wide range of other species in areas where they coexist. Put another way, when we safeguard pandas, we inevitably safeguard the surrounding fauna, including crested ibis, golden monkeys, takin, and multicolored pheasants. Through ecotourism, pandas also assist numerous local people in a sustainable economic way.
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