![]() Marc Bekoff : "You know, some people say, 'Well, if there were no pandas in the wild, would it be worthwhile having pandas in captivity?' And my answer is, 'No!' I would rather see the money go into preserving habitat and then saving individuals of other species.These furry, black and white bears hold a special place in many people’s hearts. In fact, of all the species listed as endangered since 1973, 99% are still around, but only 1% - ONE - have been successfully rehabilitated and taken off the list. In 2006, the Chinese government started reintroducing pandas to the wild, but only five of those seven are still alive. And if the whole point of these hefty funds and breeding programs is to rebuild wild populations, we're sucking at it. And the loss of habitat, and because pandas are specialists, you know, basically eating bamboo, when they lose their habitat, their homes, they lose their lives."Ĭonstruction, logging, and an influx of tourists continue to diminish and disjoint the panda's natural habitat. The major problem on this planet is that there are too many humans. ![]() Marc Bekoff : "But the one thing about pandas is, and it's not necessarily unique to them, the reason they endangered is because of humans. But the sad irony is the main reason pandas were endangered in the first place is habitat destruction - yet even with all their funding, it's not enough to prevent further habitat decline. You know what else was black and white? Pandas! Pandas looked just as cute in color as they did in gray scale, so, voilà. When the World Wildlife Fund was founded in 1961, it distributed all printed materials in black and white. And one study found that 61% of conservation campaigns ONLY raised funds for these "celebrity species." But as the World Wildlife Fund's logo, pandas really hit the ultimate conservation jackpot. Of the nearly 20,000 endangered animal species, only 80 get the lion's share of the already scarce funding. Yet, it's the cuddly pandas who qualify as a poster species for conservation organizations. Pandas, by comparison, don't affect many other lifeforms, so saving them saves the pandas but not much else. So saving them is like saving their entire ecosystem. Mangrove forests, for example, support at least 1,300 animal species with their roots, fruit, and branches. Marc Bekoff : "Animals like ants, and some of the insects, have far more ecosystem value than do pandas, or elephants, or wolves, or all the charismatic animals. Ultimately, what it boils down to is this: People care about cute critters. And why wouldn't we? They're freakin' adorable! Their round head, seemingly large eyes, and Cabbage Patch Kid bodies remind us of babies, and that triggers a nurturing response. Regardless, we are dead set on keeping this species alive. ![]() And even if they do, there's no guarantee the cub will live. But in captivity, the chosen pair is often separated right up to when the female is ovulating. On top of that, wild pandas have a mating routine that involves courting calls and scent markings that can last weeks. ![]() Threesomes are more or less the norm when it comes to wild-panda sex - something that's difficult to replicate in zoos. Turns out, breeding pandas in captivity is a completely different ball game than in the wild. And they are not ambassadors for their species." Marc Bekoff : "My view is regardless of whether they are an important source of revenue, we do not need any more pandas in captivity. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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