MajorThreatstothePanda
1.Destructionofthepanda'snaturalhabitat.Intheelevenyearsfrom1973to1984,suitablepandahabitatshrunkby50percentinsixisolated,butotherwiseideal,areas.A1998loggingbanimplementedbytheChinesegovernmenthelpedtoslowthehabitatdestruction,butpoachingandillegalloggingarestillaproblem.
2.Interruptionofmigrationroutes.Bamboo,thePanda'smainfood,flowers(producesseedsanddies)onceevery10to100yearsdependingonthespecies.Whenthebambooinoneareaflowers,pandashavetomovetoareasthathavenotflowered.Historically,itwaseasyforpandastomovefromoneareatoanother,butnowitisnot.Humanpopulationhasexpanded,roadsandsettlementshavebeenbuilt,andforestshavebeenclearedforagriculture,fuelwood,andtimber.Thesechangesmakepandamigrationdifficult,oftenleavingpandasrestrictedto"islandsofforest."
3.ConsumptionofWildMeatAlthoughpandasareoccasionallyhuntedfortheirpelts,mostpandasthatareinjuredorkilledbypoachersareinadvertentlyharmedwhenthepandasarecaughtintrapsmeantformuskdeer,takin,bear,andotheranimals.Wildmeatissoldinthemarketsandrestaurantsincitiesnearbythereserve.EatingwildmeatinChinaisathreattopandasurvival.(Note,pandasarenotsoughtforuseintraditionalChinesemedicine.)
WanglangProtectstheGiantPandaby:
·PatrollingtheReserveforpoachersandsickorinjuredpandas.
·Protectingtheforestsasakeyhabitatarea.
·Educatingvisitorsaboutpandaprotectionandenvironmentalissues.
·Supportingpandaresearch.
·Providingacorridorforpandamigrationbetweenadjacentpandahabitats.
·Educatinglocalresidentsaboutthevalueofconservingpandas.
·Supportingeconomicdevelopmentoflocalcommunitiestominimizetheirneedtousepandahabitatfortoprovidefortheirlivelihood.
HowYouCanProtectPandas
·KnowandfollowtheregulationsoftheReserve.
·Don'tpurchaseoreatanykindofwildmeat.
·MakeadonationtopandaconservationatWanglangNatureReserve
·PurchasesouvenirsattheReserve,aportionofwhichsupportspandaconservationprogramsatWanglang.
·Joinanenvironmentalorganizationtoprotectwildlife.
·TellafriendaboutWanglangandpandaprotection.
