Why The Poor Pandas are Endangered

Pandas are dying out mainly because of one main reason: habitat loss. Their main source of food is bamboo, which takes a long time to grow. This problem wasn't present when pandas were spread throughout the massive south-east of Asia, including China. Hence, when a forest of bamboo was being consumed by them, or a forest bloomed out, they could simply move to another bamboo forest, but as the forests have been cut down the Pandas are finding food supply harder to find after a bloom out. Industrialization needs people to clear off these ranges or lands for factories and agriculture. Hence, bamboo forests in Asia started to decline tremendously. Wild pandas have been reported to die because of starvation simply because they cannot reach the next bamboo forest quickly enough, or at all. Habitat fragmentation affects their feeding, and mating as well, anytime the Panda has to leave their territory, they are at risk. Pandas, too, are picky regarding their mates. But an even larger problem than the panda's selective behavior is, females are only fertile, or in their reproductive cycle for about 5 days. For a male to find a female in the wild, and quickly enough to mate with her while she is still fertile, is a small miracle. The odds are against it happening, there are a lot fewer pandas surviving in the wild, and the habitat is filled with fences, walls, roads, and other obstacles. Pandas are endangered because they are getting hunted by people who are killing off these animals without knowing that they are endangered and have no concerns, or cares about the balance and well-being of the ecosystem. The Panda is a specialized species and that creates a level of strain that is sensitive to any outside pressures and can quickly endanger the species continued survival. The panda's requirements are very restrictive, for example their diet; they really only eat bamboo, and in such quantities that it requires large bamboo forests with dense undergrowth to support them. They can now only be found in south-china. The "specialists" of the animal kingdom is in a way "predisposed" toward endangerment, and need to be watched or monitored closely when they come into contact with humans, or during any weather events that can cause serious damage to their habitat.

Triplet Baby Pandas (Video)

 

The reason I included this video on my blog because this is the 1st time ever that all 3 triplets survived during birth. Majority of the time, it's usually 1 panda that survives and once in a blue moon the 2nd one lives. The triplets all opened their eyes and it was astonishing. This is truly a miracle yet to be witnessed. The event occurred just recently on August 19, 2014.

Giant Panda Population

 Scientists believe that the population of the Giant Panda is about 1,000. And getting smaller every year. No one real knows what the population was before China's population kept growing; and because the population of China was growing, the Giant Panda's habitat was destroyed. I expect that the original population was probably about 1,000,000-2,000,000 since it has been proven that the giant panda once lived all through out China and in northern Vietnam.  Now there's only a few thousand left ever-since the 2004 census for the endangered species.

Facts About the Giant Panda

Giant Panda's Physical Features:

     The giant panda, a black-and-white bear, has a body typical of bears. It has black fur on ears, eye patches, muzzle, legs, and shoulders. The rest of the animal's coat is white. Although scientists do not know why these unusual bears are black and white, some speculate that the bold coloring provides effective camouflage into their shade-dappled snowy and rocky surroundings. The panda's thick, wooly coat keeps it warm in the cool forests of its habitat. Giant pandas have large molar teeth and strong jaw muscles for crushing tough bamboo. Many people find these chunky, lumbering animals to be cute, but giant pandas can be as dangerous as any other bear. They can grow up to 5 feet tall!

Giant Panda's Habitat:

     Giant pandas live in broadleaf and coniferous forests with a dense understory of bamboo, at elevations between 5,000 and 10,000 feet. Torrential rains or dense mist throughout the year characterizes these forests, often shrouded in heavy clouds.

Giant Panda's Diet:

     A wild giant panda’s diet is almost exclusively (99 percent) bamboo. The balance consists of other grasses and occasional small rodents or musk deer fawns. In zoos, giant pandas eat bamboo, sugar cane, rice gruel, a special high-fiber biscuit, carrots, apples, and sweet potatoes.

Giant Panda's Young:

     Female Giant Pandas start mating in May and usually give birth to 3 cubs. Just 1/900th of their mother's weight, a newborn panda is born pink, covered in sparse, short white hairs. It weighs three to five ounces, and is about seven inches long, including a proportionately long tail. Its eyes are shut tightly. It cries loudly and often. The mother takes care of the cubs until they are 1 and a half to 2 years old. The mother leaves her young, and finds another mate to repeat the cycle.

• Days Old

     The cub's limbs are weak—it will be several weeks before it can crawl. It continues to vocalize, to communicate its needs and strengthen the relationship with its mother. The cub spends its days sleeping and suckling often. At about a week old, black patches appear on the skin around the eyes, ears, shoulders, and legs. Black hair will grow in these areas in a couple of weeks. The mother frequently licks the cub to stimulate urination and defecation and to clean the cub.

• 1-2 Months Old

     After about a month, the cub resembles a miniature adult with a longer tail. It vocalizes less and less until it ceases crying and squealing by the time it is two months old. Its eyes open partway after 30 to 45 days and open fully a week or two later. The mother may not leave to eat bamboo until her baby is three or four weeks old. By this time, the baby can better regulate its body temperature and does not require constant contact with its mother to stay warm. Mother has been staying busy providing the cub with high-fat milk. It may grow to ten times its birth weight in five to six weeks. At two months, it suckles three to four times a day.

• 3-4 Months Old

     The cub can stand and walk a few steps after about 75 to 80 days. At about this time, teeth begin to erupt. The order in which they appear varies from one panda to another. Its eyesight improves, and its hearing becomes more acute. It suckles two to three times a day. At four months old, the cub is active, running several steps at a time and climbing up on its mother's back to play.

• 5 Months to a Year Old

     At five months, the cub trots behind its mother, mimics her while she eats bamboo, and climbs trees. It may sit in a tree by itself for hours. At six months, it has 26 to 28 teeth and begins to eat solids. It will have deciduous teeth at one year of age, and its permanent teeth will start to erupt at this age. It suckles only once or twice a day. It may continue to suckle at eight or nine months old. By age one, it may weigh 50 to 60 pounds.

• 1 and a Half Years Old

     In the wild, the cub leaves its mother at one and a half to two years of age.