There are less than two thousand giant pandas living in the wild.
What’s worse is that pandas are notoriously difficult when it comes to breeding. They are shy about getting together, and can have real trouble conceiving.
At the National Zoo in Washington D.C., two resident pandas recently attempted to mate. Yay! But it didn’t work. Boo! So the zoo officials artificially inseminated the female, Mei Xiang. Yay? Last year’s artificial insemination attempt did not take, but zoo staff is hopeful that this year’s attempt will be a success. (Mei Xiang already has one cub, so here’s hoping for a second!)
Timing is critical when it comes to pandas making more pandas. According to a report from the National Zoo, there’s only one to three days per year in which conception can happen. That makes successful mating a real long shot… but also incredibly important for the future of the species.
China is waiting for residents to arrive in their fifth panda breeding center. There are already four giant panda breeding centers in China: one in Beijing, one in northern Shaanxi, and two in Sichuan. (More than three-quarters of the world’s pandas live in Sichuan!) The fifth will be located in Changsha.
Four adult pandas will arrive in Changsha on May first… provided that authorities approve the new facility. Several panda experts will join the staff, with a goal of helping the pandas breed.
With less than two thousand giant pandas in the world — around sixteen hundred wild and less than two hundred in captivity — is important for them to mate in order for the species to survive.
Other conservation efforts have included teaching pandas survival skills so they can be released into the wild and protecting pandas against swine flu… but neither will be very useful if there are no pandas left.