(CN) Leaving giant panda on its own

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China Daily

http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2001-10-06/36835.html

 

10/06/2001

 

NANNING: China's endangered animal, the giant panda has a better chance of

survival if left to breed on its own in the wild, without intervention from

high-tech science, according to a professor.

" The giant panda possesses normal reproductive capabilities and does not

need cloning, " said Professor Pan Wenshi, China's most well-known giant

panda specialist and a professor from Peking University..

 

There are about 1,000 pandas living in the wild, most of which live on the

mountains in West and Southwest China.

 

Most animal experts believe that the species faces extinction because of the

animals' poor reproductive capabilities.

 

However, Pan, who has led research teams to track down giant pandas in the

Qinling Ranges in West China for 13 years, said that the animals can

increase their population without any help from mankind.

 

" The shrinking distribution of the giant panda and a drop in the number of

the endangered animals that has occurred since the mid-20th century are just

a short-term and normal reflection in the long-term evolution of giant

pandas, " Pan said.

 

According to Pan, over the past 10 years, the population of the giant pandas

has been increasing at an annual rate of 4.1 per cent - even higher than

that of human beings!

 

Pan's team has also discovered that DNA diversity of the giant pandas in the

Qinling Ranges has not been degraded due to inbreeding, which is common

among the species.

 

Pan, 64, who has been engaged in scientific research and field inspections

into wildlife including giant panda and white-headed leaf monkey, has won

numerous awards and recognition for his work in wildlife protection. He is a

recipient of the Paul Getty Prize, the highest prize given by the World

Wildlife Fund.

 

Pan and other researchers of his team have put radio collars on giant pandas

to help gather information about their habitats, frequency of activities,

seasonal migration, mating and food gathering habits. They have also

conducted ground investigations and studied behaviour patterns with the help

of satellite remote sensing. Pan attributed the shrinking population to

increased human activities.

 

Pan's theory about the long-term survival of giant pandas is echoed by Zhang

Hemin, head of the China Giant Pandas Protection Centre at Wolong, Sichuan

Province, and Zhang Guiquan, another giant panda researcher with the same

centre. Both Zhangs have said that the impact of human beings on nature is

the main cause of the decline of the giant panda.

 

Xinhua