Looking at rolling and playing cuddly giant pandas in a zoo is priceless. It shows how happy and comfortable they are in their surroundings. However, we are fully aware that zoos are not their natural homes. So in terms of the natural environment, what are giant panda habitats?
Habitats are known to be the places where the animals like giant pandas live and reproduce. Knowing that factor, we can say that the natural habitats of the giant pandas are the forests. However, knowing only that is not enough to distinguish giant panda habitat from the others.
Nonetheless, we are here to help you with all the things that you need to know. You will learn about their shelter, their habitat map, and the temperature of their habitat. You will also know the reasons behind the loss of the giant panda habitat.
What is a giant panda’s shelter?
We can classify giant panda shelters into two: the natural habitats and the artificial habitats.
Natural Habitats
These are the temperate rainforests of Min and Qin mountain ranges located in Central China. Inside these rainforests lie patches of thick understories of bamboo, which we call bamboo forests. Here, wild giant pandas live freely in their tree dens near the bamboo forests.
Artificial Habitats
These include animal captivities like zoos and breeding centers. These types of accommodation for giant pandas exist in some countries around the world. Here, they live in close quarters and under human care. They use the pandas for tourist attractions and breed them in captivity.
The Giant Panda Habitat Map
China is the land of the giant pandas. In Central China, we can locate the Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. The Min (Minshan) and Qin (Qinling) mountain ranges lie in those provinces.
Moreover, we can find the most popular giant panda captivities in Sichuan province. It is also the place with the most number of giant pandas. And those are the main reasons why they consider it as the Home of Giant Pandas.
Furthermore, we can find different artificial habitats of the giant pandas across the globe. Some countries rent giant pandas from China and place them in their captivity. They take good care of them in a zoo to increase the number of visitors. Most importantly, to help them improve their conservation status.
Giant Pandas Habitat Temperature
Giant pandas prefer to live in cold places. For them to stay healthy, they have to live in places with temperatures below 25 degrees Celsius. If the temperature went higher than 25 degrees, it can cause heat stress.
In the wild, they live in a temperate rainforest. It has a cool temperature, not too hot and not too cold. Moreover, the giant pandas go up in the higher elevations of the mountain when it is getting hotter to feel the cooler temperatures. When it is too cold, they tend to go down the mountain to feel the balance temperature that they need.
7 Facts About Giant Pandas Habitat
- The giant panda habitat is commonly known as the bamboo forest.
- The preferred habitat temperature is no higher than 25 degrees Celsius.
- The giant panda den is usually made from hollowed-out logs or stumps of conifer trees.
- The giant natural habitats are only found in the temperate forest of Central China.
- The province of Sichuan is also known as the Home of the Giant Pandas.
- The habitat has an elevation of between 1,200 to 3,100 meters above sea level.
- The habitat is more likely shrouded by heavy clouds with torrential rain or dense mist.
The Giant Panda Habitat Loss
Human beings are the main cause of the loss of giant panda habitat. These include illegal logging, human invasion, and global warming.
Illegal Logging
It is a problem in several rainforests. The trees and bamboo that serve as the natural habitat of the animals like pandas are cut down to make expensive furniture and more. The saddening part is that the trees will not grow instantly and it will take years for them to be a good shelter for the animals again.
Human Invasion
Modernization brought a lot of changes in the world, that includes the wildlife space invasion. Humans are using the space to build infrastructures for housing, business, and many others. Due to the human demand for space, wildlife space is taken for granted. And it destroys the natural habitat of the wild animals.
Global Warming
Humans keep on using different materials that contain harmful chemicals for the atmosphere. The continuous accumulation of harmful chemicals causes the depletion of the ozone layer. This results in abnormalities in the climate, such as the warming of the planet. This may result in a drought that is very dangerous to the natural habitat.
How can we help to preserve the giant panda habitat?
We should undo the things that harm the natural environment. If we cannot stop doing it due to important demand, we should at least compensate for the actions that we do. Here are the things that we should do to preserve the giant panda environment.
Reforestation
We can replant trees in different abused and damaged forests. In this way, the cut trees will have replacements. Then, the wildlife will continue to exist.
Clean and Green
If we stop using harmful or toxic materials, we can contribute to the prevention of pollution. Without pollution, we can avoid climate change. The environment will be good enough to support wildlife in the long run.
Donation Drive
We can donate financial support to different existing and legal organizations. These organizations aim to protect wildlife and their environment. So even in the comfort of our homes, we can still contribute to nature conservation.
Conclusion
In this article, you had an overview of the giant panda habitat. You learned the facts that you need to know about the ideal panda habitat. Then you also learned the reasons why there is a loss of giant panda habitat.
If humans need space, animals need it the same way. For them, forests are so important. Without the forest, they will move away and will eventually die due to their inability to survive in a completely different environment.
Let us show more care towards wildlife because they exist in this world to play their roles. We all have something to do for the improvement of this world. May we not endanger wildlife, just to get our satisfaction.
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