Why are humans so keen on trying to save pandas?

All species evolve or reach extinction, but the giant panda is not so badly adapted as you may suppose. In particular its' molars and premolars have broadened relative to their forbears, and are nicely adapted to chewing bamboo. read more

They’re only rare because we broke up the stands of bamboo with roads and cities so the pandas found it harder to get food - and conservation efforts in China are putting the damage right and making sure the pandas can still get from one bamboo forest to the next. read more

True, there are too few giant pandas in the world. There are an estimated 1,600 giant pandas in the wild, mostly in a few mountain ranges in Sichuan province in central China. Another 300 or so live in captivity. read more

Since pandas sometimes give birth to two cubs but usually only care for one, biologists have developed techniques for caring for the second cub, so that both survive to adulthood. The Chinese government works to enforce existing protections, such as bans on illegal logging and hunting. read more