Why has the panda population declined?
Habitat fragmentation and loss. The greatest threat to the giant panda population is that the area in which they live is becoming smaller and more fragmented. This is because of human activities such as logging, expansion of farming into forest areas, mining, and road-building. Poaching. In the 1980s and 1990s, there were a number of cases of panda poaching, but this has declined due to strict laws and greater public awareness of the panda protected status. People hunting for other animals in the panda habitat also pose a threat, however. The traps they set for musk deer or bear may accidentally kill giant pandas. Habitat degradation. In the remote areas where pandas live, local people depend on the forest for fuel wood and timber for building homes. They also collect wild plants and animals to sell for use as ingredients in traditional medicines or as food. When there were few people and lots of forest, none of these practices was a threat to the pandas, but nowadays they cause severe
