ABSTRACT
These questions are addressed in this chapter by examining panda protection initiatives in China. The discussion of panda reserves is important not only because pandas are so well-known, but also because they are considered 'unique' and as a 'flagship species' by dominant conservation scholars and organizations. There has been enormous scientific interest in the species, beginning towards the end of the nineteenth century, but socio-economic aspects of panda protection initiatives have not been carefully examined.
