Giant pandas: living proof that conservation works

The charismatic giant panda – WWF’s famous symbol – is a conservation icon turned conservation success.

Giant pandas: living proof that conservation works species:

Vulnerable (Around 1860 remain) Ailuropoda melanoleuca

Affected by: Habitat loss and fragmentation , Climate change

The charismatic giant panda is a global conservation icon and the symbol of our organisation. Thanks to decades of successful conservation work, wild panda numbers are starting to recover, but they remain at risk. Human activities continue to be the biggest threats to their survival. An extensive giant panda nature reserve network exists, but one-third of all wild pandas live outside of protected areas in small isolated populations.

Pandas typically lead a solitary life. They're excellent tree climbers, but they spend most of their time feeding. They can eat for 14 hours a day, mainly bamboo, which is 99% of their diet (though they sometimes eat eggs or small animals too).

Giant pandas are living proof that conservation works. And even better, by protecting pandas we’re also helping protect the wider environment where they live, for all the wildlife and the people that depend on it.

"I’ll never forget the day I came face to face with one of the world’s most iconic species - the giant panda - as this charismatic and universally loved species is rarely seen in the wild. As I stood staring into his dark solemn eyes, I was overcome with a sense of tranquility. I also felt thankful to have shared this unique experience alongside our dedicated field team who work passionately to protect this incredible species."

Nicola Loweth
Regional officer for India and China

Where do giant pandas live?

Wild pandas could once have been found throughout eastern and southern China, northern Vietnam and northern Myanmar. Now the pandas range is restricted to just six isolated mountain ranges in Gansu, Shaanxi and Sichuan Provinces in south-central China.

Pandas live mainly in deciduous broadleaf, mixed conifer and sub-alpine coniferous forests, between elevations of about 1,200-3,400 metres, of south-central China.

Why giant pandas are so important

Giant pandas help to keep their mountain forests healthy by spreading seeds in their droppings, which helps vegetation to thrive.

The Giant panda’s forested habitat is also important for local people – for food, income and fuel for cooking and heating. The pandas live in the mountain catchment areas of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, whose river basins are the economic heart of China, home to over half a billion people.

Panda habitat rivals the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem in the world. It's also vitally important for other threatened and endangered species, including golden snub-nosed monkeys, takins, red pandas and snow leopards.

By protecting pandas in the wild we’re helping conserve the wider environment, for the people and wildlife that depend on it.

Adopt a panda

WWF / Elma Okic
WWF China / Zhao Naxiong

Challenges affecting pandas

Overharvesting and livestock grazing

In general, the traditional threats from communities such as fuel-wood collection, medical herb collection, bamboo harvesting and mining have declined over the last ten years. However, community activities vary in intensity across the panda landscapes and are more severe within the northern Minshan and Liangshan landscapes where poverty is high. Livestock grazing in particular is a significant threat, and is the most commonly observed disturbance to giant panda habitat across their entire range.

More about sustainable living
Habitat Loss and Fragmentation

China’s strict laws have helped reduce poaching but over the past three decades, large-scale development activities have degraded and fragmented panda habitat. The giant panda population is now divided into 33 isolated sub-populations. Most of these are small groups with less than 100 individuals. Although great efforts are being made to reconnect isolated populations through the creation of panda migration corridors, research suggests that the smaller of these sub-populations aren't genetically viable and local extinction of these small populations is likely.

More about habitat loss
Tourism

Mass tourism is a major human activity that threatens giant pandas, with scenic sites increasing rapidly and set to continue doing so. In the year 2000, around 80% of China’s nature reserves had developed tourism programmes which attract hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. Tourism negatively impacts on giant pandas and their habitats through construction of tourism facilities and amenities, in addition to noise produced and waste left behind by tourists.
Infrastructure development

Large scale Infrastructure development, such as road construction, dam and hydropower facilities and mining operations, are a major source of fragmentation of giant panda habitat. The density of the road network has increased substantially over the last decade and many more new national, provincial, and county level roads are planned or are currently under construction.
Climate Change

Climate change currently presents another challenge. Analysis of meteorological data over the past 30-50 years shows that the average temperatures in panda areas are rising. It is predicted that this will cause suitable panda habitat to shift to higher elevations as the panda’s preferred vegetation slowly shifts upslope. One study based on research from the Qinling Mountains predicts that, within 50 years, the current panda nature reserve network will cover less than half of existing panda habitat due to a climate-induced, upward elevation shift in the panda’s preferred bamboo species.

More about climate change

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How we're helping giant pandas

© N.C. Turner / WWF

The forest certification system

Forest certification involves inspecting and tracking timber, paper pulp and other forest products to ensure they’ve been harvested correctly.

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Giant pandas: living proof that conservation works