The story of Chinese Panda and its diplomatic strength

The giant panda has been synonymous with wildlife conservation, owing primarily to its being on the logo of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) since the organisation's founding in 1961. The species itself faced serious threats to its existence in the 1980s, but concerted efforts by China, to which the giant panda is indigenous, and conservation agencies have led to an increase in its population.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature in September 2016 removed the giant panda from the endangered list of species after 28 years. But recently, researchers have raised concerns, saying that the giant panda's habitat is now more fragmented than in the late 1980s.

ET Magazine takes a look at the population of the giant panda over the years and its role in China's diplomatic efforts.


China's 67 panda reserves contain 66% of the pandas in the wild and cover 54% of the habitat
Pandas in zoos and breeding centres around the world - 300

More Fragmented Habitat
Historically found throughout southern and eastern China and even in neighbouring Vietnam and Myanmar, the animal is limited to 20 isolated patches of bamboo forest in six mountain ranges in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces in China.
According to researchers, the road density in its habitat in 2013 was 2.7 times higher than in 1976, making the habitat more fragmented, and the mean habitat patch size was 13.3% lower in 2013 than in 1988
Source: WWF, Natural Ecology & Evaluation journal

Panda Diplomacy
Since the 1950s, China has been using the giant panda as a diplomatic tool, called "pandanomics", since the 1950s and has given the bears to different friendly countries as gifts

Since the 1980s, amid concerns over the declining numbers of the species, China decided to loan giant pandas to countries, usually for 10 years, instead of gift them and charges them a pretty penny. China owns all thes pandas and their cubs

Annual Fee for Every Panda on Loan - $1 million
Annual Fee for Every Cub - $4,00,000

Countries which got pandas on loan recently
Germany - 2017 | Malaysia - 2014 | Scotland - 2011

China has used the animal to show its displeasure with countries. For instance, then US president Barack Obama's plans to meet with the Dalai Lama and a US arms sale to Taiwan were said to be reasons behind the recall of Tai Shan, a male giant panda, from the US in February 2010. China also delayed sending two pandas to Malaysia in 2014 over the latter's handling of the disappearance of a Malaysian Airlines flight, on which two-thirds of the passengers were Chinese

The giant panda was the subject of the Kung Fu Panda animated trilogy, which grossed $1.8 billion in ticket sales worldwide.
(Source: Box Office Mojo)

Frenzy over a Cub
The Japanese media have been on overdrive ever since Ueno Zoo in Tokyo in February announced Shin Shin was mating with Ri Ri. Shin Shin finally gave birth to a female cub in June, sending shares of restaurant chains near the zoo soaring. The cub was the first giant panda to have been born since 2012. After receiving over over 3,20,000 suggestions, the zoo named her Xiang Xiang, meaning fragrance, after getting the Chinese government's nod.
(Source: The Washington Post)