There is a word that Koreans searched for the most during the year 2023. It is a panda named 'Fubao'.

Fubao is a panda born at a theme park in Korea. It became very popular through YouTube due to its cute appearance and behavior. In Korea, a book about Fubao's story was published, and a TV program featuring Fubao's family was also broadcast. Many people visited the theme park where Fubao lives to see Fubao in person before it returned to China in the spring of 2024. It is said that the number of visitors to the theme park has increased by about 20% compared to the previous year, so you can imagine how popular Fubao is.

This cute panda, Fubao, is a giant panda. However, giant pandas are listed as vulnerable (VU) on the Red List, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) list of endangered species. There are only about 1,800 giant pandas in the world. Fortunately, the population of giant pandas has been steadily increasing since the early 2000s, but they are still listed as an endangered species, so continuous attention is needed.

The reason for the endangerment of giant pandas is a decrease in food. Giant pandas mainly eat bamboo. During the process of expanding their habitat, humans have cut down large amounts of bamboo, which has significantly reduced the food available to pandas. Another reason for their endangerment is the declining reproductive ability of giant pandas. Like humans, giant pandas can only give birth to one baby at a time. The gestation period is long, at five months, and after the baby is born, it needs to be breastfed by its mother for 18 months.

Experts say that habitat loss is a more serious problem than food shortages and declining reproductive ability. Giant pandas mainly inhabit Yunnan, Sichuan, and Qinghai provinces in China. These areas, which were once covered with lush forests, have begun to be developed, resulting in a significant decrease in habitat area, as shown in the picture above.

Since giant pandas currently live only in China, the Chinese government is making various efforts to prevent the extinction of giant pandas.

To protect not only giant pandas but also all wild animals, the Chinese government has enacted the Wild Animal Protection Law, which prohibits poaching and illegal trading of wild animals. There is also a Nature Conservation Law to protect the forests, rivers, and lakes where giant pandas live. In 2009, the ‘Bamboo Forest Protection Law’ was enacted to prevent the illegal possession and logging of bamboo, the food of giant pandas. Bamboo forest restoration projects are also underway.

The Chinese government is also conducting various studies on the ecology and reproduction of giant pandas to help the species, which has low reproductive ability. They are working to develop artificial insemination techniques and expand breeding support facilities. They are also collaborating with the international community to develop breeding technologies.

The logo of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is a panda. It is said that the WWF, founded in 1961, was inspired by the giant panda ‘Chi Chi’, which came to London Zoo. The reason why the panda became the WWF's logo is that it was a species that could be easily loved by people all over the world among endangered species. There was also a practical reason: pandas are black and white animals, so they could save on printing costs.

The giant panda became the WWF's logo and a symbol of endangered species conservation efforts. I hope that the concern for Fubao will also lead to an increased interest in endangered species.