Study: Saving pandas led to downfall of other animals

schwit1 writes: Since the giant panda reserves were set up in China during the 1960s, leopards have disappeared from 81% of reserves, snow leopards from 38%, wolves from 77% and Asian wild dogs from 95%.

Researchers found with the dwindling numbers of leopards and wolves, deer and livestock have mostly roamed free without a threat from natural predators, causing damage to natural habitats for surrounding wildlife, including the pandas.

Samuel Turvey, of the Zoological Society of London, said that while protecting umbrella species have proven successful in many incidences, researchers cannot ignore continued human activity on the wider ecosystem and how non-targeted species are affected.