17 Cute Facts about Pandas

What is the biggest threat to giant pandas?

With only about 1,000 giant pandas left in the wild, they are considered endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.Giant pandas were once hunted by the Chinese, who believed their pelts provided magical protection against evil spirits, but hunting now carries strict penalties in China, so is less of a conservation issue now. Humans and destruction of habitat now pose the biggest threat to giant pandas. This includes erosion of habitat due to clearing of areas for crop cultivation, and natural die-back of bamboo. The presence of built up areas prevent giant pandas from moving to new areas, so loss of bamboo forests mean many will starve.