That said, the reasons why their numbers were so low until very recently are due to both habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, but more so on the former. China’s rapidly expanding population has put increasing pressure on the land they inhabit. As China developed economically, more land was cleared for logging, agriculture, and human settlement, encroaching on giant panda habitat.
Pandas are also quite particular about their habitat. They live in temperate forests that have a specific climate, altitude, and vegetation. When their habitat is disturbed or destroyed, they have difficulty surviving.
In addition, pandas have a low reproductive rate. Females give birth to only one or two cubs every two or three years, and the cubs have a high mortality rate. This makes it difficult for giant panda populations to recover from habitat loss.
Conservation efforts have helped to increase the number of giant pandas in the wild, but they are still considered a vulnerable species. Protecting their habitat and reducing human disturbance are essential to their survival.