The giant panda is the rarest member of the bear family and among the world’s most threatened animals. Threatened both directly, by poachers, and indirectly, though a diminishing habitat due to human population growth, the future of the Giant Panda is still uncertain. As China’s population continues to grow, bamboo forests available to the Pandas dwindle and disappear. As the Panda’s diet is 90% bamboo, many simply starve. In addition, a low reproductive rate further hinders efforts at repopulation.

The Chinese government has made great strides in setting aside reserves for these beautiful animals, and in fact have set aside approximately 2.5 million acres in an effort to protect the estimated 2,000 – 3,000 mature pandas currently in the wild.