Zhou Zhou and Lin Wei - It is not only mankind doing!

From a research, it has shown that even without human's activities affecting the pandas, their reproduction rate would be low...

Population of Pandas

Panda Reserves and their estimated Population

Name	District	Province	Year Established	Area (km²)	Estimated No. Of Pandas*
Foping	Foping	Shaanxi	1978	350	100
Baishuaijiang	Wen	Gansu	1978	953	20-40
Baihe	Nanping	Sichuan	1963	200	20
Jiuzhaigou	Nanping	Sichuan	1978	600	40
Wanglang	Pingwe	Sichuan	1965	277	10-20
Tangjiahe	Qingchuan	Sichuan	1978	400	100-140
Xiaozhaizigou	Beichuan	Sichuan	1979	167	20
Fengtongzhai	Baoxing	Sichuan	1975	400	50
Wolong	Wenchuan	Sichuan	1975	2000	130-150
Labaihe	Tianquan	Sichuan	1963	120	25
Dafengding	Mabian	Sichuan	1978	300	30-40
Dafengding	Meigu	Sichuan	1978	160	10

*information provided mainly by Hu Jinchu

From fossils collected, it was believed that pandas were found in eastern China even as far north as Beijing. They were even found to be at Huang river. Not only are the pandas gone, there has also been a significantly low panda’s population as seen from the table above.

The Start of Panda Survey

An extensive Panda survey for their status and distribution were conducted in mid-1970s. The reason for this survey conducted was not very specifically stated in the book itself. However, after doing some research, I found some possibilities. It was because researchers were interested in knowing how many pandas were left and the fact that a species of the Minshan mountains in Sichuan died, which may have indirectly caused the death of 130 pandas. The first intensive Panda research only began later in 1978 in Wooling and Foping in 1980. The research was probably done due to the bamboo die-off in 1980s, causing pandas to wander into villages. Although a national survey on pandas was done twice, people still doubted the figures given for the number of pandas existing. In 2006, researchers came out with a new way to ensure that the same panda would not be counted twice, this would ensure that results would be more accurate, this method was to use panda’s droppings to check their DNA.

Panda’s Reproduction

Efforts have been put into protecting the pandas began since 1957 and a reserve was built later on in 1963. However, this was not enough to prevent the pandas from extinction, hence, efforts were put into researching how we can help pandas to reproduce. Since the annual mortality rate of panda is capped at 8%. (Female panda may not be able to reproduce until the age of 7, and is only able to raise a child successfully every 3 years. Hence, any human’s destruction will cause a great negative impact) The first artificial insemination born panda, Yuan Jing, was born on 8^th September 1978 at the Beijing zoo. 

Isolation

It has been proven that the survival of a species depends on its genetic diversity. Since pandas are usually isolated and confined to high ridges and their population tend to be small, as time pass, they will lose their genetic variations. Well, it may not be all that bad to be isolated, since small populations can escape harmful effects of increasing rapidly. However, this is just what the panda lack.

Sources:

Giant Pandas Biology and Conservation, Donald Lindburg and Karen Baragona

The Giant Pandas of Wolong, George B. Schaller