Awareness

As compared to other endangered species, the awareness of the giant panda species is also raised through pop culture. Examples of this include the introduction of Tarepanda and Kung Fu Panda to children and adults around the world. These depictions of pandas are cute and in the case of Kung Fu Panda, bring great delight and laughter to people and their families. This allows people to associate positive emotions with the animal, thus developing positive attitudes about the animal, making them more receptive to participating in and helping with conservation programs and efforts.

The appearance of the giant panda in pop culture has not waned. In a recent photo, Junsu, a member of the Korean boyband ‘2PM’, posted a picture of himself with a panda doll on his Twitter account. The photo went viral online and brought awareness again to the plight of the giant panda.

With the Korean wave and Korean pop spreading strongly throughout the world, these public affections for giant pandas displayed by Korean stars have brought greater awareness of the species to their fans around the world. With the advent of social media, this awareness has also spread to ‘non-fans’.

Awareness of giant panda was also raised through panda diplomacy and loans. Panda diplomacy was a practice in 1950s to 1980s, whereby giant pandas were sent as diplomatic gifts to other countries. For example, during 1972, two pandas – Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing were gifted to the United States.²² By 1984, giant pandas were not sent as diplomatic gifts. Instead, countries around the world can take up a 10-year loan of giant pandas. These animals are on loan to foreign zoos and reserves, allowing people from other countries to interact with giant pandas. This pushes for greater affection and understanding for the species.

Greater awareness is one of the major step in building positive beliefs and attitudes towards the giant panda. This global support may also prompt and push for a heighten protection for the species, contributing to the success of conservation.