Maggie Bailey
The reasons why pandas have become one of the rarest mammals in the world are not necessarily what you may think. Evolution has not been kind to them, for one thing. We can definitely say that their survival has not been helped by humans destroying the environment and hunting them to near-extinction, but the panda is also at the mercy of the strange habits of the bamboo, which form the bulk of its diet.
Every few years bamboo enters a stage of atypical sexual reproduction – instead of sending out runners, it produces flowers and seeds. The problem for pandas is that as soon as the bamboo has flowered it goes into a dormant stage called “die-back” – it literally disappears. New growth can take up to 3 years to return. Sadly during this period many pandas starve to death.
Additionally, the restricted diet of the panda is not the only problem as far as the fight for survival goes. Pandas also breed at a very slow rate – the female is only fertile for 2-3 days every year (contrast that with every 2-3 days each month, for human females!) So the panda birth rate can easily fall below the death rate, causing a further decline in the population. So it seems that the reproductive habits of both pandas and bamboo are contributing to their downfall.
I would like to see panda in live.
So it seems like we should be planting more bamboo.
Absolutelt Trenna Sue! And giving IVF to pandas as well maybe? 😀
This is an eye-opener. I never knew Pandas were endangered for these reasons.
I know; a lot of it seems to be due to natural causes unfortunately, not human activity.
Nice post
Thank you Lee!
I love them. So sad the way some of us humans treat them that makes them more extinct.
Yes exactly pftsusan. So sad. And unfortunately it is often very difficult to get them to breed in captivity.
Thank you Carol DM. Yes, they are so cute!
Great information on a favorite animal.
I can’t understand why someone has given this a “LOL” reaction below! What is funny about pandas being endangered?!
Thank you lucia anna!
Very informative post, Maggie. Thank you.