a natural disaster in china (Earthquake or flood) could wipe out most of the Panda Bears.
But if these Panda Bears would be breed all over the world in Zoos or in Nature Parks they will never become extinct.
But if these Panda Bears would be breed all over the world in Zoos or in Nature Parks they will never become extinct.
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Earthquakes or floods do not wipe out pandas. Volcanic eruption may do that. The giant panda is endangered because of loss of habitat, notwithstanding misleading and persistent claims that they are endangered because of low fecundity. Giant pandas eat lots of bamboo, and too many of them in too small an area would only lead to starvation. Therefore it is actually bad for them to have too many young if the habitat cannot sustain a high population density. Giant pandas are native to China, and are found nowhere else. Therefore the Chinese isn't "keeping them to themselves" any more than we are keeping the desert pupfish or the Houston toad (2 endangered species found only in the USA) to ourselves. In fact, there are more giant pandas that are found outside of China than there are Houston toads or desert pupfish found outside the United States.
The goal of conservation is not to keep an animal alive in captivity indefinitely. The goal is to make sure that a species is able to survive in nature. Therefore, the only way to ensure the survival of the giant panda is to make sure that enough habitat is set aside for them to continue to exist in the wild. Much of the giant panda's remaining habitat is fragmented, and China has taken efforts to make sure that the patches of bamboo forests are connected by corridors of forests, so that if and when all the bamboo in one forest should flower and die, the pandas are able to migrate through these corridors to other forests. That sort of habitat enhancement does more to promote conservation than allowing zoos to keep the pandas they breed in captivity. However, you do have a point that it makes more sense to have captive bred populations being maintained outside of China, just in case something happens. For better or worse, many countries, including Australia and Mexico, have banned the export of their indigenous wildlife. One may argue that these countries may be condemning their native wildlife to decline and even to extinction, but zoos can only do so much to breed endangered species in captivity. Much more important is the preservation of wildlife habitats around the world.
The goal of conservation is not to keep an animal alive in captivity indefinitely. The goal is to make sure that a species is able to survive in nature. Therefore, the only way to ensure the survival of the giant panda is to make sure that enough habitat is set aside for them to continue to exist in the wild. Much of the giant panda's remaining habitat is fragmented, and China has taken efforts to make sure that the patches of bamboo forests are connected by corridors of forests, so that if and when all the bamboo in one forest should flower and die, the pandas are able to migrate through these corridors to other forests. That sort of habitat enhancement does more to promote conservation than allowing zoos to keep the pandas they breed in captivity. However, you do have a point that it makes more sense to have captive bred populations being maintained outside of China, just in case something happens. For better or worse, many countries, including Australia and Mexico, have banned the export of their indigenous wildlife. One may argue that these countries may be condemning their native wildlife to decline and even to extinction, but zoos can only do so much to breed endangered species in captivity. Much more important is the preservation of wildlife habitats around the world.
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well pandas are already endangered, which is the reason they are in zoos at all. When was the last time you saw a cow in a zoo? Also, I don't think that is a real policy that a country can have, because how would it be implemented? If you have breed a panda in your zoo in china, it can't be released, and what is the logic in handing it over to someone else when you have the climate food and experience to care for it? On that same note, if there is a panda in a french zoo (do the french have zoos?) the chinese will not steal it.
In short, I think F on this one.
In short, I think F on this one.