Saving
the Panda
Tian Shan, just before his first birthday.
1 July 9, 2005, was an important day at the Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces.
Smithsonian National Zoological Park in In captivity, there are only about 200: Some
Washington, D.C. The zoo had a new arrival are in the U.S. and a few others are in Mexico,
that morning: Tai Shan, the first baby of Tian 25 Japan, Thailand, Germany, and Austria. Most
5 Tian and Mei Xiang, male and female giant captive pandas, though, are in zoos and
pandas. Tai Shan’s birth, like any panda’s, research centers in their native China.
was a cause for celebration. In the first three
Their shortage makes pandas precious, but
months that the cub was on public display
caring for them isn’t easy. The cost of
following his birth, visits to the zoo increased 30 hosting a giant panda at each zoo can exceed
10 by 50 percent over prior years.
two and a half million U.S. dollars a year,
Around the world, conservation centers and and that’s without babies. Add a couple of
zoos like the Smithsonian are working to cubs (nearly a half of all panda births produce
ensure that pandas survive, whatever the cost. twins), and the bill approaches four million
But what makes these animals so special? 35 dollars. Of course, at any zoo, the arrival of a
15 Aside from their cuteness, their scarcity makes panda or the birth of cubs brings an increase
them important: giant pandas are extremely in attendance, but the crowds rarely translate
rare. Even other endangered animals—tigers, into sufficient revenue. Even with tickets and
gorillas, Asian elephants—outnumber them, gift shop sales, no zoo has collected enough
both in the wild and in captivity. Recently, 40 money to offset the costs of hosting one of
20 China reported that about 1,590 of the these animals.
black-and-white bears survive in the hills of
3A Panda Protectors 35
With panda numbers now on the rise,
China’s goal is to release captive pandas into
75 special nature reserves2 and to eventually boost
the numbers of these animals in the wild.
Scientists hesitate to do this just yet, though.
As National Zoo biologist David Wildt says,
“There may be as many wild pandas out there
80 now as the habitat can support.” However,
many pandas born in captivity are being trained
to be more self-sufficient and not to rely on
their human keepers.
Tian Shan and his mother.
One day, we may be able to eliminate
85 altogether the need to raise pandas in captivity.
Though this hasn’t happened yet, the work
Why is accommodating these bears so
being done in China, the U.S., and other
expensive? At most zoos these animals get
countries worldwide is helping to make the
the best of everything: state-of-the-art
goal a reality, one panda at a time.
45 habitats, the best doctors and keepers, the
tastiest food, and a variety of toys to play
with. In the U.S. alone, this level of care costs 1
If something is self-sustaining, it is able to support itself without
help from others.
millions of dollars a year. Every year, each 2
A nature reserve is an area of land where animals and plants are
zoo also sends China a million dollars for officially protected.
50 the protection of pandas and their remaining
habitat. China uses these funds to create Wolong Nature Reserve zoo keeper Hu Haiping carries a four-
education programs for schools near protected month-old panda cub back to its mother after a checkup.
areas and to restore the panda’s bamboo forests.
Given the enormous cost of caring for these
55 animals, what exactly are the benefits of raising
pandas in captivity? For one thing, it has led to
a number of successful births. In recent years,
the captive-panda population has increased
dramatically. Record numbers of cubs have been
60 born, with much better chances for survival
rates. A decade ago, at the Wolong Nature
Reserve in China, at least half the twins and
many of the single cubs died as babies. Today,
new care and feeding techniques have improved
65 the chances for survival of captive pandas
in zoos in China and around the globe. All
those cubs have pushed the captive population
closer to a magic number: 300. With that
many pandas, says population biologist Jon
70 Ballou, “we can have a self-sustaining1 captive
population and maintain 90 percent of known
Girl getting her hair
giant panda genetic variation for a century.” colored.
36 Unit 3 Animals in Danger
