WHEREAS, wild populations of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca David) occur in a restricted mountainous district (5000 to 10,000 feet elevation) in western Szechuan and eastern Sikang in an area approximately 70 miles east and west and 175 miles north and south, and
WHEREAS, the environmental requirements and population size of this remarkable mammal are virtually unknown to biologists of the Western World, save for a few reports from expeditioneers, and
WHEREAS, the possibility of trade between People's Republic of China and the United States may again allow zoological parks to acquire giant pandas for exhibit,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Society of Mammalogists urges that, if importations of giant pandas become allowable, appropriate officials of the U. S. Department of State and/or U. S. Department of Commerce and/or U. S. Department of the Interior should first consult with knowledgeable representatives of the Chinese government to determine if and what kinds of importation restrictions should be imposed to assure that wild populations are maintained, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the American Society of Mammalogists, recognizing the aesthetic, educational and scientific values of this unique mammal, also urges that Chinese ecologists disseminate more information concerning the status of the giant panda and that officials of zoological parks and other interested groups make major effort to determine methods of breeding these animals in captivity not only to insure perpetuation of the species but to provide for a source of stock for zoological gardens.