Giant Pandas are a species that has been driven to the brink of extinction by human hands. A 2014 census found there to only be 1,864 wild giant pandas left in the wild. However as it has been four years since then, the numbers have most likely dropped, as they have been for years.

Why should we even protect pandas? I mean sure they're cute and all but aren't they overall useless? 

There is not a single species that is 'useless'. All species play a role whether it be an ecological role or a financial role. Giant pandas play one of the most important roles in bamboo forest growth. They help spread bamboo seeds and aid in vegetation growth. Giant pandas are endemic (meaning they are only found in a specific place on earth) to a very small region in south central China. By saving giant pandas, you will not only be protecting bamboo forests, but other endemic species living in the bamboo forests that may not have as much luck with protection as pandas.