#2 PANDAS.

Population of Giant Pandas in the World as of 2004: Estimated to be around 1,600

The natural habitat of these gentle mammals of the Bear family is mostly in the bamboo forests, high up in the mountains in the West of China.

2 of these areas would be the Minshan Mountains, and the Qinling Mountains.

Minshan Mountains

• Found on the eastern side of the highest and biggest plateau in the WORLD, the Tibetian Plateau.
• 45% of the total panda population lives in the area, a total of about 720 pandas in that area alone.

Qinling Mountains

• Located in the Shanxxi Province, found as a natural barrier between the North and the South China parts.
• About 20% of the total panda population is found there, an approximate of 200-300 pandas.

These gentle creatures are an endangered species, mostly due to habitatual loss. It is also a disadvantage that the pandas have low birth rates. They are very popular for poachers, as they are a source of soft furs for the people.

During the population boom in China after 1949, due to the various famines and hardships, the people turned to hunting the wildlife, including pandas. The poaching worsened when the demand for panda furs entered the illegal market.

As a result of insufficient knowledge, in a effort to start preserving this species, pandas were caged up and put in captivity, hence causing them stress, and making them unable to reproduce, therefore dropping the numb

ers of the panda population even further.

Baby Pandas, such as these, are now mostly fertilized through artificial insemination, as most of the pandas seem to lose interest in any form of sexual reproduction activities whatsoever once they are in captivity.

Personal Reflection : These pandas did nothing wrong to humanity other than to survive in areas that people could probably have used instead for their own building purposes. But why kill them off and make them an endang

ered species? Was it really that worth it to make them an endangered species, yet now start trying to preserve them and undo the damage that was done decades before?

They have been the innocent victim in all this, and other than eating shoots and leaves, they have done nothing else. They certainly haven't harmed any of the people that hunt them down, they're docile creatures by nature. I find it to be such a pity that they are an endangered species now.

References :

Photo of Pandas : http://www.petlvr.com/blog/2005/11/china-has-record-year-for-pandas/?page=2 [Taken on 3rd April 2010]

General Information on Pandas : http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/giant_panda/panda/where_panda_lives_habitat/ [ Taken on 3rd April 2010]

Baby Panda : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Panda_Cub_from_Wolong,_Sichuan,_China.JPG [Taken on 3rd April 2010]