Yesterday was National Panda Day! As conservation icons go, nothing beats the giant panda. They have become a virtual brand, adored by billions and instantly recognizable as perhaps the most charismatic of all the megafauna. Pandas are far more fascinating and complex than their image suggests, and they offer powerful lessons as species across the globe are threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and climate change. They own a success story that, while tentative, is all too rare. In 1990, the global wild panda population was approximately 1,100 individuals, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature placed them on the endangered species list. Thanks to massive efforts, the bears rebounded, and in 2016 their status was upgraded to vulnerable as their numbers continue to increase in the wild. The keepers wear panda suits, scented with panda urine so that any bear that might be released into the wild does not get used to human contact. See more on my page amivitale. #china #pan...