where are they now? where do they go from here?

In researching a factoid stemming from a conversation (the concept of a "panda tracker" MAY have been briefly entertained until it dawned on me that the pandas we know and love don't need tracking since the zoos generally try to keep them contained. Most of the time.) I came across this cool map, care of our zoologist friends at the national zoo.

There are actually two maps at this page. The first one shows the approximate distribution of panda habitat across China. Many of these areas are now nature reserves and protected by the Chinese government.

The second map is the more interesting one. This animated map shows the approximate area of panda distribution across China prehistorically, historically (within the past 2000 years), and today.

That is one tough real estate market for the pandas over the centuries! Dang!