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Belly up to the bamboo buffet: Pandas vs. horses

panda eating bamboo

Eat fast--the horses may be coming! Livestock, particularly horses, have been identified as a significant threat to panda survival. The reason: Horses let loose in a nature reserve have been feasting on the only food pandas eat: bamboo.

Credit: Sue Nichols, Michigan State University Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability


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researchers talking to chinese locals in a store in Wolong

Researchers Jianguo "Jack" Liu (left) and Jindong Zhang (right) of Michigan State University talk to a farmer (center) in the Wolong Nature Reserve about the impact of horses on panda habitat. "Across the world, people are struggling to survive in the same areas as endangered animals, and often trouble surfaces in areas we aren't anticipating," said Liu. "Creating and maintaining successful conservation policy means constantly looking for breakdowns in the system. In this case, something as innocuous as a horse can be a big problem."

Credit: Michigan State University Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability


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Vanessa Hull with horses

Vanessa Hull, a doctoral candidate at Michigan State University, with horses that have been roaming free in the Wolong Nature Reserve, eating bamboo crucial to panda survival.

Credit: Michigan State University Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability


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