There's only one giant panda

A giant panda against the backdrop of Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province, China. Around 1,590 giant pandas remain in the wild, China keeps 239 in captivity and another 27 are kept in zoos around the world. After decades struggling to save it from extinction, some conservationists now believe the panda is not worth the effort Photograph: Corbis

Others say the panda is too iconic to give up on, and that its charismatic image helps focus attention on dwindling biodiversity. It's certainly unique Photograph: Corbis

A young giant panda plays with a tyre at Wolong Photograph: ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images

The giant panda was once mistakenly believed to be related to the red panda (pictured) – hence the name. Before 1901 it was known simply as the 'mottled bear' Photograph: Frank Leonhardt/Corbis

Earlier this month WWF put 1,600 papier-mâché pandas on the Parvis des Droits de l'Homme in Paris to symbolise the 1,600 pandas left on Earth Photograph: Francois Guillot/AFP

Dinnertime at Wolong Photograph: China Daily/Reuters

The Wolong reserve was established in 1958, when the received wisdom was that the only way to save pandas was to take them into captivity. Behind bars, however, the animals lost all interest in breeding. Keepers tried everything, including showing them 'panda porn' and giving the males Viagra Photograph: Michael Nichols/Getty Images

Occasionally their efforts paid off, and scientists were on hand with stopwatches and clipboards to record the occasion. This is Pan Pan (top) and Lei Lei Photograph: STR/AFP

But the main mode of reproduction has been artificial insemination. In July 2009, Chinese scientists confirmed the birth of the first cub to be successfully conceived using sperm that had been frozen Photograph: China Photo/AP

1985 Chinese New Year poster Photograph: Corbis

Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret on a visit to a zoo in May 1939 Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The proposed gift of two giant pandas from China to Taiwan hit a raw nerve in 2006. In this demo, supporters of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party carried placards rejecting the "unification propaganda tool". The gift was turned down, but the decision was reversed when a new party came to power last year Photograph: Patrick Lin/AFP

Meanwhile at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, the world's first panda robot is taking shape Photograph: Sam Yeh/AFP

A panda cub at the Bifengxia panda breeding centre in Sichuan, China. Most of the captive pandas in Wolong were relocated to Bifengxia after the earthquake in May 2008 destroyed facilities there Photograph: Dan Chung/Guardian

Cui Cui with her keeper on a poster outside Beijing Zoo, where eight traumatised panda cubs were sent to recuperate following the quake. Terrified Cui Cui had to be rescued from a tree Photograph: Sinopix/Rex Features

Volunteers record the behaviour of Mei Xiang at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington DC. In 2005, Mei Xiang was placed under constant watch after scientists detected a rise in the amount of the hormone progestin in her urine, following artificial insemination. She gave birth to a male cub Tai Shan Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Tai Shan at seven months old playing in the snow with his mother Photograph: Ann Batdorf/Smithsonian Nation/EPA