Kimonides Julia
PANDA - why is this animal approaching extiction?
GENERAL
INFORMATION ON PANDAS
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ailuropodidae
Genus: Ailupoda
Species: Ailuropoda melanoleuka (black
and white cat-footed animal)
In Chinese pandas are
called "Daxiongmao", which means large bear cat. Panda is a symbol of peace.
Pandas are one of the most popular creatures worldwide,
they are regarded as lovable and charismatic.
They are considered as an endangered
species. Despite the fact that they
have teeth of a carnivore (incisors), they are omnivores, must mostly eat bamboo. Meat isn't included in their diet but if
given the chance they will take it (i have seen it in the Animal Planet and
caught my interest). They have powerful
muscles in the head and jaw, which allows them to crush bamboo.
Adult pandas measure from 1.60
to 1.80 m (length). An adult male weighs
between 80 to 125 kg, whereas females weigh 10-20% less. Unlike bears, it doesn't hibernate and can
only walk using all fore and hind limbs.
They have a big head. Pandas
aren't nocturnal animals, but they have narrow pupils wich allows them to see
at night when they eat bamboo.
In average a panda can live untill the age of 21. Females become sexually mature when they
reach the age of 7, whereas the males at the age of 8. A female panda becomes sexually mature only
once a year. Thus she can raise 14 cubs (21 years in
total - reaching sexually maturity 7 years old = 14 years of sexual maturity)
in her life time. Sometimes a female can
bear 2 cubs at a time, but usually she would only care for one of them,
therefore the other cub will not survive.
Wild pandas can only be found in China, in forests where bamboo
shoots and trees are abundant. Having
pandas in these regions, help to keep the growth of bamboo relatively in stable
rates, if their habitat isn't disturbed.
Wei and Hu (two chinese folks observing pandas)
have concluded that the panda population at Wolong eat only half ot the eatable
bamboo shoots and leaves. Which means that that region could sustain double the
number of pandas now. However some parts
of the forest has been cleared (deforestation), and without having any choice
they remain in their area and avoid to disperse. Unfortunately nowadays they can only be found
in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces.
CLOSE TO EXTICTION
These black and white Chinese bears are close to
extiction, for several reasons, but originally was thought that it was mainly
from poaching. Ofcourse such activity is
illegal. All evidence and information in
this essay where mostly used from an article called "the implications of poaching
for panda conservation".
These amazing creatures are hunted down for their skins, which in turn
poses a great threat for their future.
If tracted all skins are confiscated.
It is also sad to include that not long ago hunters also took the skulls
of these animals, or if captured alive were used for "imperial hunting".
Their numbers in the wild are limited. The model used in the article states that it
"takes a total wild population of
1216 individuals divided among 16 'patches' " in the years 1987-1988. Each "patch" is regarded as "being completely independent, with no dispersal and density-dependance". In other words pandas which spend their time
alone in their own habitat, the distances between them vary though. After further study, the model states that
there are 3 types of poaching :
- Deterministic (constant) :
basically the number of pandas that
are being hunted every year is fairly stable.
- Stochastic (with normal distribution) : "the
number of individuals poached per year in a population determined from a
normal distribution with a constant expected value". The numbers of pandas killed per year is
the same, the rates aren't increasing.
- Stochastic (with observed distribution) : "the
number of individuals poached per year in a population is randomly
selected from the observed poaching distribution". So both sexes are hunted equally.
In theory and practice, hunting down female pandas rather
than male, poses a much greater problem in their population. Less females means
less offspring will survive in the sense that they will not survive without
their mothers and less offspring will be born in the next reproduction year.
Hence "lower average population size
and higher percentage of extiction"!
Anyhow both sexes at any age is hunted down. During the years 1987-1998 in total 52 giant
pandas have been killed!!! I noticed in a statistics table included in
the article, that the mortality rate for a 1-year-old panda is 40% for both
sexes. This means that the chances of this infant to survive untill sexual
maturity are very low. But as it grows
and learns from its mother how to survive in the wild, it stands more chances
to survive. After collecting data about
poaching, we can say that this isnt the main reason which leads pandas to
extiction.. since the number of pandas hunted down
is constant, and anyway the numbers of pandas will continue to fall
dramatically.. As stated in the article "under all poaching scenarios, the total population does not go extinct, but the
population declines and the average percentage extiction increases, compared to
population with poaching". This
statement only refers if the hunters do not choose their victim. I mean when both sexes have the same chances
of being killed. But if the hunter
prefers to hunt just females, then extiction will occur sooner than expected
for the whole population of pandas, all 16 'patches'... Poaching varies
widely, and depends upon several factors.
- "the
poacher does not know when, where or how many prey will be encountered"
- " the
poacher does not know to predict their age"
- " the
poacher does not know to predict their sex"
- " the
poacher does not know if he will be successfull".
- The
demands in the black market
- "traditional
cultures, religion, conservation legislation and conservation
consciousness"
Some pandas have been captured in order to try and save
the species, but in this case little can be done, since this is a wild animal
and reproduction occuring is not always effective and actions must be
done. Almost 240 pandas have settled in
zoos for breeding. After having watched
a documentary about pandas in the Animal Planet i was suprised when it said
that female pandas are fertile only for a few hours on that particular day of
the year. And if the male isnt successful in finding the female in time, then
no cubs will be born at that year. Personally i believe that this is the main
reason pandas are becoming extict.
The article also mentions that 2 catastrophies have taken
place in the years 1970 and 1983-1987, in result there were 279 lives of wild
pandas taken away.. 279 numbers of pandas is a
considerable amount, and it will take a long time to restore them, since this
species reproduces at a very slow rate.
Fortunately this phenomenon isn't frequent (every 40 years or so), so in
a way it can be disregarded as being a threat for pandas survival.
In conclusion, pandas are coming to extiction due to
their low fertility rate. But
nevertheless poaching should be banned completely, and people should be more
informed and aware in the fact that sooner or later pandas will be gone.
Ofcourse this means that we must act NOW.
Keep a closer eye on them, help during breeding (even if inner
fertilisation is a must). This requires
a large amount of money in order to be successful, and a way of doing this is
by attracting more people to the reserves and zoos. Deforastation must be limited. Pandas are adorable and innocent creatures,
they deserve a place to live in, plenty of bamboo. Why should this species fade away? We have the power to stop this from
happening. Why wait until its too late?...
BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.giantpandabear.com/
article
:
Li Yiminga, Guo Zhongweia, Yang Qisena, Wang Yushana, Jari Niemela (2003)
The implications of poaching for panda conservation