The Giant Panda is a beautiful black and white bear living in south-central China which can weigh up to 150kg as an adult!
One of the most unique characteristics of Pandas compared to other bears is that their digestive system is similar to other carnivorous bears, however evolution has allowed them to survive almost solely on bamboo!
Giant Pandas are classed as endangered as there were only about 1,600 in the wild as of 2004, and as the process of counting Pandas is lengthy and difficult it happens rarely and hasn't been done since.
One of the biggest problems with helping Pandas is their difficult mating cycle, as a female Panda can only give birth to one cub every two years and therefore only gives birth to about 6 in their lifetime, which means that their birth rate doesn't nearly match up to their death rate.
The main threats to Giant Pandas are:
1. Habitat Loss
Due to agriculture, urbanisation and logging, the habitat of the Giant Panda is a tiny fraction of what it was in 1900 with only 20 small isolated areas - some only spanning about 1,000m squared.
2. Poaching
While not very many Pandas are poached for their fur these days, many traps and snares set for other animals catch Pandas instead.
Giant Pandas are now being captive bred in zoos all over the world and the human-panda relationship is looking good for their survival, with the Giant Panda pretty much being the face of conservation efforts worldwide.
References:
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/giant_panda/panda/how_many_are_left_in_the_wild_population/
World of Animals magazine issue 4