THESIS PROPOSAL

G ANT PANDAGRAPHIC DESIGNTHESIS PROPOSAL10/21/2010

YUN LIN

THEGIANT PANDA

contents THE GIANT PANDA

A Giant Panda’s diet consists of almost 99% bamboo.

CONTENTS

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

ISSUE

SOLUTIONS

PROFILE

03

05

06-29

The Deficits and Benefits

of the Artificial Insemination Operation

The Realities of the Captive-breeding Program

The Ongoing Debate over the Test-tube Solution

The Struggle for Successful Reintroduction

and an Established Self-sustaining Population

30-33

Structural Solutions

Timeline

34-37

Why me?

Resume

Autobiography

what is it about?

02-03 THE GIANT PANDA

ABSTRACTThe goal of this project is to promote a sustainable habitat and increase public awareness to save the Giant Panda from probable extinction.

ABSTRACT

We have already lost hundreds of species of animals to extinction. Once they are gone, they will never come back.


INTRODUCTIONPandas have long been listed as an endangered species, even though scientists know how to help them reproduce by captive breeding and artificial insemination. These methods are very costly and also very labor intensive. The pandas’ probable extinction cannot fundamentally be solved unless we assure a sustainable habitat for them in the wild.

INTRODUCTION


Homeland of the Giant Panda —Wolong, Sichuan

Since 1949, 1/3 of the forest that covers in Sichuan, where most pandas live, has been felled. There are now only an estimated 1,000 pandas left in the wild, mainly in China.


Pandas are fussy eaters and the death of large tracts of bamboo, their staple, is another serious threat. From 1983 to 1996 as many as 183 pandas suffering from illness or malnutrition were found in the wild.


Why should we care?

WHAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTANDAs one of the world’s rarest animals heading towards extinction, the Giant Panda is considered to be China’s national treasure and has become a worldwide symbol of conservation. Unfortunately, the concern for their survival has been undermined by internal arguments of how to address this vital issue in the scientific world. One position is relying on captive-breeding and artificial insemination, while the other position is to protect natural habitats. Although technology can help us to create a database to preserve genetic variety in a good way, it is labor intensive and operates under high risks. The more important idea of getting them to thrive naturally has been severely limited.

My research has shown that a sustainable solution better protects the integrity of the species.

ISSUE


The State Council has allocated

¥20,000,000 (2.4 million U.S. dollars) for the artificial breeding project.

Dr. Heming Zhang, the man in charge of the world’s biggest giant panda breeding base, is optimistic about the artificial insemination experiment results. He considers that the technique to be easier than cloning the endangered species.

The Deficits and Benefits of the Artificial Insemination OperationArtificial insemination has produced only 3 litters outside China up to 1990. This is a surprising low rate of success, for in theory, at least the technique is not difficult. In some species, the success of artificial insemination has been improved, but due to the female panda’s physiology, this is still not very successful. The main difficulties associated with the improved technique lie elsewhere.

In captivity, without the presence of a male panda, female pandas do not go into heat. Consequently, the timing of the artificial insemination is still largely a matter of educated “guesswork.” A viable solution has yet to be found.

ISSUE


Panda in the Shanghai Zoo


Only 39% of the Chinese and 40% of the non-Chinese captive born cubs have survived infancy.

The Realities of the Captive-breeding ProgramAs well as the difficulty in getting giant pandas to conceive in captivity, the high level of infant mortality compounds the problems of captive breeding. In part this can be attrib-uted to the extreme helplessness of the young, although a primary cause of these figures is the inability of the mother to look after her newborn cubs. Only 16 twins or triplets cubs of 58 born in captivity since 1986 have survived today. All attempts at hand rearing have so far failed.

To develop a technique for the hand rearing of giant pandas will not be easy. For the first few days of its life the cub will lie quietly only if it is gripped firmly by the mother. In China some cubs that have been hand reared have survived only a few hours, but others have lived for up to 45 days.

ISSUE


If a successful captive-breeding program can be established, the most modest scheme would be to establish a self-sustaining captive population.

This is not impossible, since there is no single, insoluble problem stands in the way of successful captive breeding. However, there are a series of difficulties—a naturally low rate of reproduction, aggravated by problems with getting the animals to conceive, and an unusually high level of neonatal mortality. With the major improvements in breed-ing success that could conceivably come about through hand rearing, with improvements in artificial insemination techniques and with the establishment of sperm banks to preserve genetic variety, this limited objective might well be achievable. Nevertheless, there are many people who feel that if the only objective of a captive-breeding program is to secure the animal’s future in captivity, and then it is not a worthwhile exercise.

If the animal people are watching can never be free in the wild, the animal is diminished; it is no longer a creature of the wild but a performing pet.

This raises more ambitious functions of captive-breeding program: to supplement wild populations or to restock suitable habitat in which pandas are now extinct. Since there is a substantial captive population of pandas and the wild population is already at a critically low level, it would be foolish not to consider these possibilities carefully. Whether captive-bred pandas could adapt to life in the wild is uncertain, for not all release programs have been successful. Zoo-bred animals that have not had social contact with others at crucial stages in their development may be unable to associate normally with wild animals or even to feed themselves in the wild. Consequently the animals will remain dependent on humans. Researchers know quite little about giant pandas to even guess at how growing up in captivity might affect the development of their foraging or their reproductive behavior. Beyond the fundamental uncertainty about the ability of captives to survive at all in the wild and to integrate themselves into a natural population, are other essential questions that as yet remain unanswered.

ISSUE



The main obstacles are not scientific, but the clash of ideology between institutions.

ISSUE

The Ongoing Debate over the Test-tube SolutionIn 1996, Chinese scientists announced a plan to produce the world’s first test-tube panda through in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Since the beginning of 1997, the laboratory had been equipped to attempt the world’s first test-tube panda fer-tilization. The only ingredients missing were female panda eggs. When a panda died in captivity, doctors removed a dead panda’s ovaries as quickly as possible. This was the first successful in vitro fertilization of the panda, which is notoriously sex-shy. The test-tube panda may yet become a reality. The reproductive shortcomings are challenges.


26% of the panda cubsborn in captivity by 1986 as twins or triplets have survived today.

VS83.3% of the panda cubscan survive in Sichuan and Qinling’s natural habitats; the female panda can provide care for cubs in the wild.

ISSUE

The main threat to the survival of the panda is the mankind’s destruction of its natural habitat. The panda communities, which have survived, are often cut off from each other, so that inbreeding is a major threat to genetic diversity.

IVF proponents say that the panda population has declined to the point that new technologies must be found to ward off panda extinction. But the reproductive rates of the wild pandas, although low, are sufficient to preserve the species if more is done to protect their habitat.


If we put much more effort into protecting the habitat then any artificially bred pandas have somewhere to go and live

ISSUE

The Struggle for Successful Reintroduction and an Established Self-sustaining PopulationIn the past 10 years, the emphasis has shifted towards breeding, to maintain the captive stock and–in theory– provide an eventual source of animals to reintroduce into the wild. First, captive-bred pandas will be reared in a semi-natural environment. Then, after they have learned survival skills there, scientists will open the door to the wild. It will be the first time that the natural population has been increased by breeding: only captured pandas have been “reintroduced” until now.

Other experts are not convinced. They claim that the reintroduction may or may not have a role, but there is still a long way to go.


A damaged panda habitat —Wenchuan, Sichuan

“The millions of dollars spent annually on an endangered species that is extraordinarily expensive to keep going might be better spent conserving their endangered habitats.” —Naturalist Chris Packham


How to solve the issue?

GOAL

SOLUTIONSAs a graphic designer I will use my visual communication skills to envision a non-profit international organization, “The Giant Panda Support Foundation” in China, dedicated to protect the Giant Panda, the Chinese National Treasure.

The goal of this organization is to increase public awareness with education programs and promote sustainable habitats by supporting the recovery of the species and rescuing its natural habitats. A special emphesis will be on the development of a campaign with education programs.

“ If we kill off the wild, then we are killing a part of our souls.” —Jane Goodall

TIMELINE

Timeline .2010 FALL GR. 604: Nature of Identity FA. 631: Book Arts

.2011 SPRING GR. 801: Thesis Development GR. 800: Directed Study Class GR. 800: Directed Study One on One

.2011 SUMMER GR. 800: Directed Study One on One

.2011 FALL GR. 800: Directed Study Class GR. 650: Portfolio Class

TIMELINE


As a graphic designer…

PROFILE

WHY ME?The first time I encountered the Giant Panda was at age 5, when my parents took me to the Shanghai Zoo. This really made an impression on me. When I got older, I learned that the reason the Giant Panda is so beloved worldwide is not just because they’re cute, but also because people go to see them, and they create bonding experiences between children and their parents. As a lifelong animal lover, I am passionate about protecting this endangered species—in fact, I cannot imagine life without them. For me, they’re not just black-and-white bears, but a symbol of my homeland and a very spiritual animal. If China can lead the fight to protect them, it will not only give us a sense of dignity as a nation, but it will also inspire the world to go further in protecting other endangered species. My journey is just beginning.

36-37

Resume .EDUCATION 2003/9 – 2007/6 East China University of Science and Technology

Degree: Bachelor of Arts

Major: Art Design

2000/9 – 2003/6 Shanghai Huashan Art School

Major: Advertising

.WORK 2007/9 – Present Shanghai Xiwu Creative Advertising Co., Ltd

Creative Dept.

Associate Art Director

2007/3 – 2004/6 Shanghai Museum

Intern

2007/3 – 2004/6 Shanghai Nuobei Advertising Co., Ltd

Creative Dept.

Associate Art Director

THE GIANT PANDA

AutobiographyI am a very career-focused, ambitious and extremely determined young woman. Having taken advantage of all the great opportunities presented to me, I appreciate and admire individuals that are highly ambitious and strive to succeed in everything they would do.

As a graphic designer, I am always ready for new challenges, and possess the confidence to use my professional skills to help the environment and people. I think a graphic designer is a communicator who visually connects information for clear presentation to the public, and has the responsibility to help the community through these communication skills. I believe I can create a better life for not only myself, but for all the living creatures in this world. As a graphic designer, as well as a responsible citizen, these are my goals.

PROFILE

YUN LIN

726 Bush Street

San Francisco

CA 94108

Designed and written by Yun Lin

Demography and chart by Yun Lin

Typeface: Din & Warnock

Sponsored by The Acedemy of Art University

Midpoint Review

Fall 2010

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THESIS PROPOSAL