Great news for Pandas!

Guess what?

The population of wild giant pandas has risen some 17% in just over a decade!

Quick quiz:

What percentage of pandas are indigenous to China?

• 100%! Every panda in the world pandas is indigenous  to a very small range in China’s Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces.
• According to the latest survey, there are 1,864 pandas living in China. About a third of those are living in the wild. How many pandas are living in the wild? OH NO, MATH!
  • About 615 pandas are living in the wild.

 

The last survey of giant pandas revealed a whopping 17% increase in population. Are pandas still endangered?

• Yes. Some people have suggested the animals should now be considered “vulnerable,” but as of now, they are still “endangered.”

What are some likely reasons for the reported increase in panda population?

• Conservation efforts have been a success.
• Researchers surveyed a much larger area than previous reports. A larger area probably means more pandas to count.
• Researchers used improved methods to count pandas. New approaches included taking DNA samples from mucus and droppings found in the wild. These methods probably give a more accurate count of pandas than traditional examination of droppings.

What conservation efforts has China taken to protect the panda?

• Captive breeding efforts, both in China and abroad, have been remarkably successful—and cute. Behold Bao Bao, one of the more adorable residents at the National Zoo and Nat Geo’s neighbor here in DC.
• China has established a series of 67 nature preserves in giant panda habitat. Check out the three toddlers at Bifengxia, China’s largest panda reserve.

 

How else can people help protect pandas?

• According to Nat Geo grantee Mark Brody, senior adviser for conservation and sustainable development at the Wolong Nature Reserve, conservationists need to focus on protecting the panda’s habitat. Panda habitat is shrinking due to rapid agricultural and industrial development. Small reserves are also not linked, cutting off pandas’ natural migration corridors. “So if we can couple China’s remarkably successful breeding programs with land restoration and linking of habitat, we have a much better chance at success,” says Brody.

 

Source: http://blog.education.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/04/panda-populations-on-the-rebound/ 

Przewalski’s horse

THE PRZEWALSKI’S HORSE,

is an endangered wild horse native to the Steppes of central Asia.

Also known as the takhi, the Asian wild horse, the Dzungarian horse, and the Mongolian wild horse, the Przewalski’s horse came close to extinction in 1966 when the last was seen in the wild. However it has been reintroduced to its native habitat in Mongolia. As of 2011 there is an estimated free-ranging population of about 300 Przewalski’s horse in the wild.

Considered endangered by IUCN (International Conservation of Nature) there are dozaines of zoos worldwide that have the horses in small numbers.

for more information  check out this wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Przewalski%27s_horse

Greater Bamboo lemur

Emporer Tamarins

Inhabiting the tropical forests of the Amazon River basin,

emperor tamarins eat fruit, tree sap and insects. This tamarin was named after the Emperor of Germany because of its long, white moustache.

They often live in the same territory as other species of tamarins, but through a series of calls and movements, they can avoid seeing one another. This behaviour is useful in detecting and defending both groups from danger.

Habitat loss threatens the emperor tamarin.
Source :wwf

Status:VULNERABLE

the Iberian Lynx-Just how endangered a species can be

Here is the perfect example of just how endangered a species can get,

   THE IBERIAN LYNX IS THE MOST ENDANGERED FELINE ON THE PLANET

  This beautiful cat has people worried that it might soon become the

first species of cat to go extinct for at least 2,000 years. It’s considered critically endangered by IUNC ( the International Union for Conservation of Nature )

Diet: 

The Iberian lynx eats mostly wild rabbits , but if rabbit populations are low it may also eat ducks, young deer and partridges. While an adult lynx needs only about one rabbit a day, a mother lynx raising her kits needs to catch about 3.

Size:

Weight: 10-13 kg

Height: 88-100 cm

Other names: 

The Iberian Lynx is also commonly known as the Pardel Lynx, or the Spanish Lynx

Range/Habitat:

In the mid 19th century the Iberian lynx was found in Spain, Portugal and Southern France.  Now it is restricted to very limited areas of southern Spain.

They live in Mediterranean Forests, and Woodlands and Scrub.

 

Status: 

critically endangered

Population:

There are about 300 Iberian lynx in the wild

Physical description:

The Iberian lynx is heavily spotted is has long legs and a very short tail with a black tip. Its coat is tawny with dark spots and it has a characteristic “beard” around its face and black ear tufts.

SOME BRIEF EXAMPLES OF THREATS;

• Decreasing food
• Habitat loss
• Hunting
• Car hits