As conservation icons go, nothing beats the giant panda. With its circular white face and perky black ears, it’s become a virtual brand, adored by billions, honored as the World Wildlife Fund logo, and instantly recognizable as perhaps the most charismatic of all the megafauna. Yet, its resemblance to anything wild is as tenuous as it is rare. Pandas, as I learned from multiple trips to China and countless hours spent in their presence, are far more fascinating and complex than their image suggests, and they offer powerful lessons as species across the globe are threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and climate change.
They also own a success story that, while tentative, is all too infrequent. In 1990, the global wild panda population was approximately 1,100 individuals, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature placed them on the endangered species list. Thanks to massive Chinese and international efforts, though, the bears rebounded, and in 2016 their status was upgraded to vulnerable.
A cub is weaned at eight to nine months, but typically stays
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