The giant panda has few natural enemies, but man is the most dangerous of them all. The snow leopard is a known predator of giant panda babies, as are wild dog packs that may seize a stray cub.
The expanding population in China has depleted the bamboo forests where giant pandas live and eat, and the urban sprawl in China is partly to blame for the declining population of giant pandas. Scientists with the Ministry of Forestry believe only about 1,000 giant pandas remain in the wild in China, and the Chinese government has partnered with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to increase the population of pandas by enhancing breeding programs and public awareness about the plight of this creature.
