Reference News Network reported on April 4 that the Spanish Le Monde website published a report titled "How Diplomacy Saves Giant Pandas: "The United States and China cooperate to save endangered species"" on March 31. The author...
Reference News Network reported on April 4 that the Spanish Le Monde website published a report titled "How Diplomacy Saves Giant Pandas: "The United States and China cooperate to save endangered species"" on March 31. The author is reporter Angel Diaz. The report said that the study estimated that China has 259 wild giant pandas distributed in 25 isolated small groups, of which 15 of which are at high risk of extinction. The full text is excerpted as follows:
This is perhaps the most famous example of successful conservation of endangered species. Although their hometown is China, they later grew up around the world, including Madrid, Washington, London, etc. They are cute and are the best diplomatic gifts.
The fate of giant pandas is tortuous and changeable. The survival of this species is intertwined with international geopolitics, ecological science and the fate of the nation.
In the past few days, the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington has launched a series of celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Giant Panda Project. In April 1972, two cute giant pandas "Lingling" and "Xingxing" presented by China after President Nixon's visit to China arrived in the United States. On the first day of their public appearance, they attracted more than 20,000 people to watch.
"Lingling" and "Xingxing" soon became symbols of "panda diplomacy". Beijing hopes to enhance friendship with other countries and regions through giant pandas. About ten years later, the giant panda "Zhu Lin" was born in Madrid, Spain.
Currently, there are three giant pandas living in the Smithsonian National Zoo. The zoo head believes that the giant panda project, which began half a century ago, has achieved a complete success and said that "the United States and China work together to save endangered species."
"The breeding program outside of China is another contribution to the giant panda protection project," Maria delcrolo, a terrestrial mammal protection expert at the Madrid Zoo and Agustin Lopez, director of biology at the park, said by email. "This is a global project, and every task is important, whether it is breeding, research or management. The main goal of these cooperation with China is to protect giant pandas in place."
The current cooperative project has successfully bred giant pandas in zoos in many places around the world. In September 2021, a pair of giant panda twins were born at the Madrid Zoo. They provide valuable opportunities to study giant pandas and help zoos become leaders in the field of giant panda conservation research.
The protection of giant pandas has been successful recently, but it still cannot ensure that it will last for a long time. Experts say traditional threats to giant pandas such as poaching are decreasing, but other large-scale disruptions, such as mining, tourism and infrastructure construction, are becoming increasingly serious.
In 2016, the IUCN changed the threat of giant pandas from "endangered" to "vulnerable". It is estimated that the number of wild giant pandas has grown from more than 1,000 in 1987 to nearly 2,000 today. The Chinese government also changed the threat of giant pandas to "vulnerable" last summer.
Will this modification make the public think that the giant panda has been saved? "I'm afraid it's right," replied Stewart Pim, an animal conservation expert at Duke University. He said the Chinese government has done a great job in protecting giant pandas and their habitats. The changes in the survival status of giant pandas reflect their achievements, but giant pandas are still at a higher risk of extinction and they are not fully saved. The main reasons why giant pandas are still at high risk include climate change, loss of natural territory or difficulty in keeping, etc., which are difficult to reverse in the short term. "Many giant pandas live in isolated populations and have a high risk of extinction," Pim warned.
Last year, a study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution estimated that 259 wild giant pandas in China were distributed among 25 isolated small groups, 15 of which were at high risk of extinction.
Source: Xinhua News Agency Client
