It may seem like bringing people's attention to as many endangered species as possible would only help the cause. But as psychology experiments have demonstrated over and over again, we've evolved to act on our emotions, not logic. A recent study showed that the general public was willing to give significantly more to save the charming Eurasian otter than to save the homely, but similarly threatened, water vole—and more for the otter alone than for the otter and the vole combined.

For the Yangtze Basin, the panda has proved an effective ambassador. Because of panda-centered conservation, China—a country with an abysmal environmental record—is taking dramatic steps to protect their environment. A logging ban has been in place for 10 years, former poachers now earn a living as trackers for panda tourists, and the local people are recognizing the value of the natural environment beyond its role as a source of meat and timber. By preserving the panda's forest home, conservationists hope to protect thousands of other species—including 100 mammals, 250 birds, thousands of insects—as well as the water supply for nearly 40 percent of China’s people.

The Other 99.9% of Life on Earth
But there is considerable debate concerning whether the use of flagship species as cash cows is the best way to reach broader conservation goals. According to Durnin, flagship species work, but they’re not perfect. "Hypothetically, the strategy protects all inhabitants of the forest, but if the entire management plan is devoted to the panda, no one really pays attention to what happens to the other species. The Siberian weasel might start disappearing, but it would be a while before anyone noticed."


An alternative strategy for managing the environment—one favored by many academic conservation biologists—is to focus on preserving biodiversity and whole ecosystems, thereby protecting a substantially wider range of species. Niles Eldredge, a curator in the Division of Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History, claims says that the current extinction rate—approximately three species every hour—reveals that we are, which puts us in the middle of our planet's sixth mass extinction. (The fifth mass extinction, 65 million years ago, claimed the last dinosaurs as its most famous—and most charismatic—victims).

While the panda and its fellow charismatic megafauna are magnificent beasts, our preoccupation with them leaves little energy and concern for the greater biodiversity crisis. But the general public's participation and financial support are vital to the conservation movement, and it’s difficult for the average member person to emotionally connect with the nebulous concept of biodiversity.

So the flagship species strategy may be our best option—for now. But with the loss of species accelerated by a warming planet and a burgeoning human population, it's unclear whether the panda's earning power will be able to keep up. Instead of using the panda to tug at heartstrings, perhaps conservationists should start a long-term project to tackle the greater problem—lack of funding, political and commercial indifference, and ignorance of the magnitude of the biodiversity crisis.

Click here to see the related story, "Could Pandas Be an Evolutionary Mistake—or Proof of an Intelligent Designer?"