Many people are concerned about the Giant Panda. While marveling at its survival through the millions of years, people are still worried about its future. From the perspective of evolution, the Giant Panda has experienced many highs and lows. Its distribution area has shrunk from all of East Asia to only in China.

Since the distribution of the Giant Panda is in clusters, like little islands, it is inevitable that its inbreeding would lead to the loss of genetic diversity. Moreover, the Giant Pandas are very particular about their food, which puts them in great danger of good shortage. Bamboos go through periodic cycles when they die off as part of their renewal. At the end of their lifecycle, they will bloom and drop their seeds and then die. When this occurs, it could mean starvation, disease and death for the Giant Panda. In fact, most of the bamboos in Mt. Minshan and Mt. Qionglai bleemed and died in the 70’s and 80’s of the 20th century. As a result, the Giant Panda population dropped sharply. The worldwide endeavor to save the Giant Panda from this crisis is still a fresh memory.

A series of effective measures have been taken by the Chinese government to save and protect the Giant Panda, not only the national treasure of China but also loved and cared about by people around the world. In 1957, a decision was made at a conference of the 3rd National Party Convention to set up nature reserves, launching a ban on hunting and capturing of Giant Pandas. In 1963, the first five nature reserves and were established, four of which were devoted to the protection of Giant Pandas. Wolong Nature Reserve in Wenchun County, Baihe Nature Reserve in Nanping County, Wanglang Nature Reserve in Pingwu County and Labahe Nature Reserve in Tianquan County. Until now, 32 nature reserves have been established in Sichuan, Gansu andShannxi province mainly for the protection of the Giant Panda. They cover an area of 10,550 square kilometers, which is 81% of the panda distribution area. Sichuan Province has 25 of the 32 nature reserve, covering an area of 8,607 square kilometers, which is 82% of the total protection area. The most famous nature reserve, Wolong, has an area of about 2,000 square kilometers. These efforts seem to be effective in protecting the inhabitants of the nature reserves and limiting the harm to the Giant Panda from human beings. It is gratifying to note that the wild Giant Panda population has remained basically stable.

International organizations have also shown great concern for the Giant Panda. As early as 1961, the World Wildlife Found (WWF) was set up with the Giant Panda as the emblem on its badge and banner, which indicates that its purpose is to protect the are and endangered species represented by the Giant Panda. The Chinese government has carried out a series of programs on scientific research and protection of the Giant Panda in recent years.  These Program is in collaboration with the World Wildlife Found, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, and the Man and the Biosphere Program. Furthermore, china is a member nation of a number of international treaties, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and has fulfilled her commitment to saving and protecting the endangered species.

With the increased protection of the Giant Panda, it is satisfying to notice that the decline of the Giant Panda population has been curbed, and that the number bred in captivity is increasing. If this trend continues, we believe that the Giant Panda will survive. It is China’s wish that the Giant Panda, a rare treasure, be your friend and coexist with humankind !