Giant Panda | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants

Giant pandas face big problems: Today, only about 1,800 giant pandas remain in their native habitats. Until 2016, they were categorized as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. They are currently listed as Vulnerable, thanks to dedicated conservation efforts that have helped to increase their population. However, they still face many serious threats to maintain this progress in the near future.

Habitat destruction: Unfortunately for pandas, China’s forests have changed. As the effects of climate change have increased and land use has shifted, their range shrunk and became highly fragmented. This made it difficult for pandas to move from one area of habitat to another, isolating their already small populations. Fortunately, China responded with strong commitments to protect panda habitat, creating a reserve system of more than 60 giant panda reserves to help protect their native home. Much work remains to maintain their forests, which are vital to their survival.

Low reproductive rate: Pandas are naturally solitary most of the year, and have a very short breeding season. Females give birth to one or two cubs, which are highly dependent on their mother during the first few years of life. Mothers typically only raise one cub, and do so on their own. At the San Diego Zoo, wildlife care specialists help to hand raise any twin cubs. The mother and wildlife care specialists switch twins every few days so each one gets care and milk directly from their mother, plus supplemental formula, which has dramatically increased survival rates for nursery-raised cubs.

Bamboo shortages: When bamboo plants reach maturity, they flower and produce seeds before the mature plant dies. The seeds grow slowly into plants large enough for pandas to eat. Giant pandas can eat 25 different types of bamboo, but they usually eat only the 4 or 5 kinds that grow in their home range. The unusual thing about bamboo is that all of the plants of one type growing in an area bloom and die at the same time. When those plants die, pandas must move to another area. This is why good panda habitat should have several different varieties of bamboo.

Protecting pandas:Panda protection efforts in China began in 1957, and in 1989, the Chinese Ministry of Forestry and the World Wildlife Fund formulated a management plan for continued conservation of giant pandas and their habitat. It called for reducing human activities in panda habitat, managing bamboo forests, extending the panda reserve system, and caring for populations of pandas in zoos and conservation centers.

China's Natural Forest Conservation Program of 1998 provides protection to all remaining forests throughout the panda’s range, which covers about 5.7 million acres (2.3 million hectares).

China has established 67 giant panda reserves that protect panda habitats from further development. Some are off limits to people completely, while others are shared-use areas like our national forests. Natural corridors link some reserves to help connect panda populations.

Today, China is currently gaining forestland. The government has started policies like the “Grain-to-Green” program, which gives grain and cash to farmers who abandon farming on steep slopes and replant these areas for natural forests and grasslands. But we’re still not sure if these newly forested areas are suitable for pandas.

It takes an international effort: Back in the 1990s, biologists didn't know if they could save pandas from extinction. Little was known of their behavior, and pandas did not reproduce often in zoos. Then, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance partnered with Chinese colleagues to create a comprehensive conservation strategy. We developed early-detection pregnancy tests, as well as a milk formula for panda cubs that raised survival rates from five to ninety-five percent. We also began using GPS technology to study pandas and learn how far they travel. In 2010, we reached the milestone number of 300 pandas in zoos worldwide and breeding centers in China, which scientists believe will ensure a self-sustaining population. Fortunately, these efforts have helped boost panda survival rates.

There is still much that we don't know about pandas. Our conservation scientists have learned a lot about panda care, veterinary care, and nutrition; panda reproduction; the importance of ecosystem health; and the significance of chemical communication, or how pandas’ respond to the odors of other pandas. By gathering more than 20 years' worth of data at the San Diego Zoo, where we could observe pandas, we gained a better understanding of what they need to thrive in their natural habitat.

In 2012, we were honored to receive the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' International Conservation Award along with the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Memphis Zoo, and Zoo Atlanta for our "Scientific Approaches to Conservation of Giant Pandas and Their Habitat." Today, our commitment to giant pandas, and to the collaborative work it will take to ensure they thrive for generations to come, remains steadfast.

How to help: People ask us every day how they can help save pandas. You can make a big impact by making some simple changes in your daily lifestyle, like knowing where the products you purchase come from. By choosing wood products that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization that promotes the responsible management of the world’s forests, you can help protect bamboo forests. FSC-certified forest products are from responsibly harvested and verified sources. Look for the FSC certification on bamboo products, too. You can also help slow the rate of climate change, which scientists predict will have a big impact on giant pandas, by carpooling or turning off the lights when you leave a room, and washing full loads of laundry in cold water whenever possible. When each of us does a little, it adds up to something big—and together, we can change the world.

Join San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance today and become an ally for wildlife. Your support makes a world of difference.