Target: Huang Runqiu, China Minister of Ecology and Environment
Goal: Support panda diplomacy program that aids in conservation efforts.
The giant panda is one of nature’s most alluring and beautiful inhabitants. For many decades, these majestic animals faced threats that dwindled their numbers, as highlighted in this ForceChange petition. But thanks to a new round of “panda diplomacy,” the giant panda’s prospects are looking better than ever.
Giant pandas are native to China, and throughout the years leaders of this nation have loaned the animals to other nations in part as an effort to bring attention to conservation. Deteriorating international relations and an expiration of the diplomacy program seemingly endangered these efforts. But now, a new round of diplomacy has commenced. Dozens of pandas have traveled to nearly two dozen nations, including the United States. The San Diego Zoo – and more recently the San Francisco Zoo and the National Zoo of the Smithsonian – have welcomed pandas.
The diplomacy program has yielded fruitful results, as it has helped boost the population of wild giant pandas and has helped remove the species from “at risk of extinction” designation. Sign the petition below to celebrate the meaningful strides made in the conservation of this irreplaceable animal.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Minister Huang,
The cooperative research programs and joint conservation initiatives made possible by the panda diplomacy program have brought important attention to the giant panda and helped propel the animal’s resurgence in the wild. The continuity and stability of this initiative will be important in sustaining these successes and in fostering international conservation efforts. Thank you for advancing this effort and for ensuring the program’s growth and expansion.
These efforts are a model for what can be achieved when the world stands united in global conservation.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Suki Lee
