Conservationists often work to save species without having long-term population data. That can present major challenges for the science of saving species, as this kind of information is critical for making informed conservation policy and management decisions. In a recently published study in the journal Conservation Letters, a team of scientists reports results of a large-scale study examining giant panda habitat use trends and changing threats to their survival. This benchmark study is based on nearly 70,000 person-hours of survey work by China’s State Forestry Administration throughout the panda’s range in Sichuan, covering three-quarters of the entire species range.