adopt a giant panda from the sandiego zoo.

little background info: Due to human encroachment and loss of habitat,giant pandas in the wild currently exist in a series of fragmented subpopulations, some numbering as few as 20 individuals, making it imperative to know more about issues related to gene flow and diversity, the design of intermediate corridors, and the impact of limited resources.

In order to address this dire situation, San Diego Zoo researchers have launched an in-country conservation program aimed at conducting long-term research on the conservation behavior and ecology of giant pandas in China. In order to benefit panda conservation, it is important for scientists to study the mating strategies of pandas. Researchers are working to figure out just how many male pandas win the opportunity to mate. If few males get to mate because of male-male competition or female choice, then there are greater risks to the long-term genetic health of the population. If most males fail to pass on their genes, then small populations isolated on mountaintops may suffer from inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity.

Researchers are also hoping to learn all they can about panda dispersal (when the young move long distances and set up a new home area elsewhere). Dispersal strategies affect the genetics of populations and determine whether reserve size and shape are sufficient to accommodate normal dispersal. Researchers are working to measure the distances that dispersing pandas move and why they decide to settle at some sites and not others. They are also working to determine which habitats wild pandas are willing to traverse in order to disperse. Answers to these questions are instrumental for determining the degree of gene flow through a network of isolated reserves, whether or not pandas will use habitat corridors, and what cues must to be present (or placed by managers) to encourage settlement in suitable habitat.

Another pressing conservation need is knowledge about panda denning ecology. In many reserves, old-growth trees have been logged and the remaining trees are too small to support a den in which pandas can give birth. San Diego Zoo researchers aim to study the relationship between availability of suitable den sites and panda population growth. They are working to determine which cavity and microhabitat characteristics determine whether a female will use a potential den, and whether, in a time of crisis, it is possible to build artificial dens in order to help mothers raise cubs successfully.

Scientists are working to address questions that have direct application to conservation management—those involving genetic diversity, localized extinctions, limiting resources, carrying capacity, reserve design, and identifying the need for direct intervention in small populations requiring semi-intensive management. To successfully manage reserves and panda populations in the wild, scientific knowledge is absolutely imperative!

here's the link: https://www.sandiegozoo.org/sl/wishlist/projectdonation.cfm

Ways you can help to save the pandas from eHow.com

1. 1. Support captive breeding programs in the United States and around the world. With low birth rates and reproduction issues, breeding in captivity is an important aspect of panda survival. Visit zoos that have captive pandas.

2. Step2

   Donate money or time to an organization dedicated to protecting endangered pandas. Although wild pandas are only found in China, conservation organizations are found around the globe. Choose to donate money online or offer to volunteer if the organization is located close to you.

3. Step3

   Sponsor or adopt a panda. Zoos and other organizations often support their efforts by having individuals "adopt" or sponsor a particular animal. With sponsorship, you might receive pictures and information about your specific adoptee. This makes a great gift for children or individuals who like pandas.

4. Step4

   Grow bamboo. Some zoos in the United States accept bamboo donations from individuals. Contact a zoo with a panda near you to see if they have such a program and what the requirements are.

5. Step5

   Learn about the Chinese government's efforts to maintain panda habitat and save endangered pandas. Government efforts include turning land back into forest, promoting high yield crops instead of logging and promoting population control.

6. Step6

   Avoid products that are made from animals who share habitats with pandas. Poachers and hunters of other species threaten pandas through snares, traps and other hunting methods.

7. Step7

   Buy products from companies that donate money to panda conservation. Many conservation organizations sell panda related materials or provide information about companies that sponsor panda survival.

fun facts about pandas from panda express =3

Panda’s Territory: Where do pandas come from?
Giant pandas have lived in the bamboo forests of China for millions years and have been honored by the Chinese for a very long time. In fact, giant pandas have appeared in Chinese art for thousands of years. Because the giant panda is considered a national treasure in China, it is protected by law so that it does not become extinct.
Although giant pandas have long been known to the Chinese, they are a recent discovery for people living outside of China. The first westerner to observe a live giant panda in the wild was a German zoologist named Hugo Weigold. In 1916, he bought a cub while he was on expedition.

In China, people have believed for thousands years that pandas are special. It is said that ancient emperors of China kept giant pandas as pets. Chinese books over two thousand years old show giant pandas with mystical powers. People thought that they could ward off evil sprits and natural disasters.
Today, pandas are believed to be a symbol of peace and good fortune.


At Panda’s Place: Where do pandas live?
There is only one place where giant pandas live in the wild: high in the mountains of central China. There, they live in cold and rainy bamboo forests that are often misty and shrouded in heavy clouds. Once upon a time, giant pandas lived in lowland areas. However, as people built more and more farms and cities on that land, the giant pandas were forced up into the mountains. Today, they live at elevations of 5,000 to 10,000 feet.


Pandas Lunch: What do pandas eat?
In the wild, a giant panda’s diet is 99% bamboo. Bamboo is a giant grass that grows in the mountains of ChinA. Because bamboo is so low in nutrients, an adult giant panda eats between 20 and 40 or more pounds of it each day. It eats the stems, shoots, leaves and all.
There are about 25 different types of bamboo that wild pandas will eat. Some nutritionists think that giant pandas need to eat not only different parts of the bamboo, but also different kinds of bamboo in order to get proper nutrition. In addition to bamboo, giant pandas eat other grasses, insects and occasionally, small rodents.
In zoos, giant pandas eat bamboo too, but they might also eat sugar cane, rice gruel, carrots, apples and sweet potatoes.

Panda Cubs: How are baby pandas born?
When a giant panda is first born, it is tiny. It weighs between four and six ounces and is about the size of a stick of butter. At birth, it is pink, blind, helpless and hairless. During this time, the mother cares for it closely, often cradling it in her paw and keeping it close to her chest. The cub doesn’t open its eyes until it is six week old, and it doesn’t walk until it is three months.
Cubs nurse for about nine months but they stay with their mothers for a long time after that. In fact, it can be up to three years before a giant panda cub strikes out on its own.

Panda’s Day Out: How does a panda spend the day?
In the wild, giant pandas spend most of their time resting, eating or looking for food. Unlike other bear species, giant pandas do not hibernate during the winter months. They also do not build permanent dens. Instead, they shelter in caves and trees.
Pandas are good climbers. They can also swim, though they spend most of their time on land. Although they might seem pretty quiet, giant pandas do make a lot of growling and honking sounds.

Panda’s in Peril: Why are pandas endangered?
Today, giant pandas are at risk of becoming extinct. Only about 1,000 giant pandas are left in the wild. All of these inhabit a small area in the bamboo forests of China. About 140 live in captivity. This is why the giant panda is listed as endangered in the World Conservation Union's Red List of Threatened Animals. It is one of the most severely endangered species in the world.

Panda’s True Nature: How do scientists classify pandas?
By genus and species, family and order, giant pandas are classified as Ailuropoda (genus), melanoleuca (species), Ursidae (family), Carnivora (order). The name Ailuropoda melanoleuca means "black and white bear.”

Panda’s Bear Body: What do pandas look like?
The giant panda is a member of the bear family Ursidae, so it is no wonder that it looks like a bear. It is a bear! Giant pandas have black, wooly coats of fur to keep them warm in the cool forests where they live. The fur on their ears, around their eyes, and on their muzzles, legs and shoulders is black. The rest of the panda’s body is white.
Giant pandas have strong jaws and large molar teeth. This helps them crush the tough bamboo that they eat.

Pandas in Pounds: How big are pandas?
Giant pandas are about the size of an American black bear. When they are standing on all four legs, giant pandas are two to three feet tall at the shoulder. They can be up to six feet long. Males are usually larger than females. Males can weigh 250 pounds or more in the wild. Females usually weigh less than 220 pounds.

link: http://www.pandaexpress.com/pandakids/html/fun_facts/index.html

hello there !

Here in this blog you will find some facts about pandas and what you can do to help save them http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/NPLPOD/1155088~Giant-Panda-Eating-Bamboo-Posters.jpg