Like pandas, without knowing it, they save nature

It's hard to imagine, but there are people who criticize the rescue of pandas. They say that a lot of resources are spent on restoring the panda population, while for the ecosystem, these cute ponds are not as significant as many other species that get less. Recently, ecologists have proven that attempts to help pandas have helped many other animals, including golden monkeys, takin, red pandas and Asian black bears.

Cute and useless?

To start, a fly in the ointment. Indeed, pandas absorb a huge share of all global funding designed to protect wildlife. Moreover, the entire evolution of these animals moved to be lazy: they can only eat bamboo, which is very difficult to digest. Therefore, pandas have to save energy most of the time, practically not moving. They also experience regular gastrointestinal upsets, and they also breed heavily in captivity.

Nevertheless, the efforts of people to protect the panda population are huge. Thanks to them, in 2016, pandas moved from the “at risk” group to the “vulnerable” group. And yes, it’s worth recognizing that they get such attention only because they are incredibly sweet.

Milota will save the world

However, ecologists have recently stated that China’s efforts to conserve pandas have in fact protected many other species that are not so popular on YouTube from extinction. For example, when the Chinese authorities began to transfer farmland back to forests and reduce deforestation, they primarily cared for pandas. But the conservation and restoration of more than 20 thousand square miles of forest has helped other animals.

In the photo: takin

Even outside of the artificially created habitats of pandas, tree planting and the fight against logging have allowed the local flora to flourish, increasing biodiversity. In fact, now that the “panda” territories themselves have basically reached their maximum growth and density, the areas located outside the panda habitats are improving even faster. Field studies and satellite imagery show that love for pandas also helps their neighbors.

Pictured: Asian black (Himalayan) bear

Now scientists are interested in whether in all cases charismatic animals can provide their fellow countrymen with a more comfortable existence. According to them, protecting beautiful tigers or elephants is easier and more enjoyable than earthworms, although worms are also extremely important for the ecosystem.