We all know and love the cute and cuddly, black and white panda bear. We also know that it is at the "vulnerable" status of the animal endangered list according to the World Wildlife Foundation. Pandas, although being in the bear family, are completely herbavoirous and for all their days of existing they chomp on big bamboo sticks, consuming 26-84 pounds of it daily. Pandas also have a poor maturity rate, meaning that they need more time, energy, and resources to grow through life stages.
If you take a typical Grizzly Bear, they hunt as well as scavage for food. They keep down the local herbavores but because they are omnivores they also scavage as well. Grizzlies contribute to the management of the life cycle of their habitat.
With limited resources, all of the conservation cooperations are looking to keep the world happy, the animals alive, as well as to prevent further damage toward a different species. It's kind of like they are playing a very complicated game of Chess. By moving most of their resources to keep Pandas running, they are ignoring others, possibly bigger, fish to fry. Pandas aren't critically endangers like the Orangatan, or Sumatran Elephants. They are not even Endangered like the Bluefin Tuna, or the Galopagos Penguin. All of these creatures contribute to managing their habitat, unlike the Panda.
So while Pandas are cute, the efforts made to maintain their existance does not equal the profits of their contributions. I believe that while they are adorable, less efforts should be spent on them, and a greater focus on animals that are more functional to our world and ecosystem. Even if that means they move to Critically Endangered, or dare I say, Extinct. It's not a popular opinion, but is one that best utilizes our world resources.
Do you think Pandas should continue to receive the resources currently given to maintain the species?
What other species do you think should have greater awareness of vulnerability and more resources used to save them?
Is there an animal you believe should have less resources contributed toward maintaining the species and why do you believe that?
Replies
I agree that there is a lot of work behind to maintain the existence of this specie but this work also gives jobs to many people. I don't think there is any specie we sohuld take care of more than any other but I think we should try to maintain animals and species as much as we can.
i agree that these conservation projects give lots of people jobs, i venture to say that the could do the same job for like a black footed ferret.they are- nearer to extinction than the panda, and are cute and roughly cat sized. they are not lowering population due to lack of survival instinct or failed reproduction but habitat loss. if more "midwest prarie" had been saved and not converted to farms they would probably be in higher count.
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