Success In Wolong
Posted at 10:22 am June 6, 2008 by Jennifer Keating
A 7-month-old panda cub at Wolong
Now that I have returned from China safe and sound, I have had a chance to evaluate the goals of my project. During my stay I observed the breeding of 16 female giant pandas. With the help of my Chinese co-workers, I was able to collect recordings from all these pandas and their male breeding partners.
There were even a few opportunities to record vocalizations from the six-month-old giant pandas. During the summer I will be processing these data and I will make sure to post an update when I am finished.
Jennifer Keating with Wolong keepers in April, 2008
On a different note, while I was in Wolong I was able to see how much the San Diego Zoo has impacted the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. My first experience was in the amount of respect the research center had for me just because I was from the San Diego Zoo. They provided help for my project constantly and I couldn’t have done it without them. The research center had spent such a great deal of time working with Ron Swaisgood in past years that they have developed a level of trust and respect with the research he conducts. Being able to say that Ron was my boss made people trust that I knew what I was doing and that it would be productive research.
Rarely in life do we have the opportunity to witness the effects of donations, research, and advice given to an organization. The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda has blossomed because of all our help. Doug Myers, the San Diego Zoo’s executive director, saw the potential and need in China for the help that the Zoo could provide for the giant pandas. The facility in Wolong reflected, in their grounds, exhibits, training, animal husbandry, and research, that the San Diego Zoo and donors around the world had made an impact. Even though the facility is in trouble now because of the earthquake, I know that it will survive and move forward because the San Diego Zoo and its friends will to continue to help the giant pandas.
Jennifer Keating is a research scientist at the San Diego Zoo.
Read Jennifer’s previous blog, Wolong: Will Fei Fei Find a Mate?
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June 6th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Welcome home, Jennifer! Glad to hear your trip was a success and that you are safely home. I am also hoping to hear more on the saga of Fei Fei. We know she eventually mated but will she have a cub? I am curious what the impact of the earthquake will be on the success of the breeding program this year. Please keep us informed. Thanks!
June 6th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Welcome Home Jennifer! Thank you for the update on Wolong. Panda International sent an article to me today in which they informed us that there is still no electrical power at Wolong and things are running on generators. They do think that there will be babies born this summer and of course, incubators will require electricity. The Panda International website has the full update for all.
Bai was sound asleep on the top of her hut. Zhen was plopped on top of her high perch sound asleep….When we returned at 11:40 Pacific Time, Gao was sound asleep on the ground….he looked like a rug! Bai was eating bamboo facing her fans and her daughter was roaming nearby and attempting to sneak her mom’s bamboo. Bai appeared to ‘whisper’ to Zhen: ‘Do not take my bamboo’ but this failed so Bai left the bamboo and gave Zhen the perfect opportunity to roll around in the green stuff 
We also got a fabulous visit with our Polar Bears! Two of them (I cannot tell them apart) were doing a really fine water ballet under the water!!! Scout and Montana were also outside playing in their exhibit! Now, The Flamingos! Still no babies that we could see, but my goodness, the volcano shapped nests are really tall now! The information sign says that the nests are normally 12-18 inches high. These seem to me to be much taller…24 inches! Plus, this visit found us looking at the Lesser Flamingo Lagoon (down past the pandas and on the way to the polars). The Lesser flamingos are also making nests!
Today, we could hear them squaking from the parking lot! When we got to the flamingo lagoon, there were two peacocks strutting around and another in a tree nearby. Today, I got lucky and got to take photos of 2 of them with their tail feathers fanned out! I bet the tails, when fanned, are very close to 5 feet high! The SDZ is an amazing experience every visit!
On a lighter note, I did go to the SDZ again today. Our Pandas were doing what they do best when we made the first visit to their exhibit. Gao was a star! He was eating his breakfast right up close and personal! What a beautiful bear is he! When we first saw him, he had a very thin piece of bamboo in his left paw and I swear, he didn’t eat it; he appeared to be using it like a toothpick
Then, of course, how would I ever get past another Peacock moment
Those of you who may be making plans to visit will want to really watch the panda cam….you will then find that you will know the best times to see Bai, Zhen, and Gao. Know also, that if you have a camera that takes video, you can film them as you walk through the exhibit and there is a second level which leads to the exit which still gives you a chance to film
June 6th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Welcome home Jennifer. I also am glad to know you made it back safely. Did Ben from Zoo Atlanta come back too, or is he still at Chengdu? I am concerned about the effect of the earthquake on the pregnant pandas, and hope that their natural ability to delay implantation may have instinctively kicked in and protected their fetuses and that they will be born later in the year when hopefully their natural environment will have become more safe and secure. By then they should have a better idea of where they will rebuild Wolong center.
We look forward to hearing more about Fei Fei and the results of your studies.
June 6th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Welcome Home! We were concerned about you over the past few weeks and are glad you are safe & sound.
Can’t wait to HEAR more about your research. Will we get to hear samples of your recordings? That would be so awesome. The first time I heard panda calls was at the exhibit at the National Zoo back in the 1980’s. Maybe some day you can make a musical CD, like how they have the ones of whale-songs, etc.
I know it would hit “platinum” status, at least to those of us who blog here.
I get asked a lot “what do pandas say?” especially by children. It would be great to have a recording to share- like on my IPOD.
It is so nice to hear of the cooperation and mutual respect for the researchers in China. Pandas can do great things to bring people together. After all, we are all united in helping the species to survive and thrive. What a great world it would be if all people could put aside their differences to save the pandas!!!
Also, I’m looking forward to hearing the pitter patter of little paws that result from the encounters you witnessed.
Love, Joy
June 7th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Hi Jennifer – Welcome back!
I was happy to hear that your project was a success and that you are back safe and sound.
Since most of the panda enclosures in Wolong were damaged, will you be able to follow-up with the research now that all the pandas have been dispersed throughout numerous safe areas?
I am looking forward to your update on this very interesting vocalization research project.
My prayers to everyone in China.
June 7th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Hey, Jennifer! FINALLY!!! I’m glad that you were able to write us an update, and I’m also glad that you are back home in Cal safely. I know you probably wanted to stay longer to continue your study over there, but with the way things are right now at Wolong, that probably was not possible at this time. I do hope that the study that you were able to do and the data obtained from it will be very useful. I also know that Ron Swaisgood is also doing communication studies on the pandas at Chengdu, and I think that he is still there right now. Haven’t heard from him in awhile since his last update. Hopefully, you and Ron will be able to share the info from both of our studies later on.
Watched CNN cable news this morning, and they had the story of the 8 pandas at the Beijing Zoo. It was very well done, and the pandas looked very happy just being themselve and munching on their boos!
Been gone most of the day, but I got on the pandacam and saw Bai Yun walking around her yard. No sign of little ZZ today!
Well, believe it or not, this is a short one! You all are probably saying YEA, but that’s ok. Just didn’t have much to say, still under the weather, and have not heard anything new about China’s situation lately. Hope you all were able to get on Pandas International’s website and got on the links that they provided on their update last Friday.
Gonna go! With love for the pandas,
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
June 8th, 2008 at 2:42 am
Jennifer, thank goodness you are back home safely after you more or less witnessed the terrible earthquake. I am so pleased to know that thanks to SDZ’efforts and dedication the China Conservation and Research Center has been showing lots of success. I will certainly carry on supporting it in order to assist their people to continue with their work and relocate to a safer area. I am certain that through donations of all the panda lovers Wolong will again flourish! I wish you and your co-workers lots of success for your future work.
June 8th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Well, guess what? Just got on the pandacam, AND there was little Miss ZZ on a tree branch napping!! YEA!!! Caught her on her favorite perch!!
Got a little bit of news about China today. They had another strong aftershock in the 5.0 magnitude range that just shook things up again. A lot of the earthquake area pretty much felt that one. Another landslide hit a railroad and railroad cars, and a couple of quake lakes are still being watched for increased water levels. At least that aftershock did not collapse the trench that was done on the Tangjiashan lake, and it’s holding up and draining water. The Chinese Army is using small explosives to blow a trench near another quake lake to get it to drain. One of the dams that’s made of mud and other materials also held up under this shock. They are watching these lakes and dams very carefully as they are the ones that could impact the region that people live in as well as some of the panda reserves that are possibly in that area. It just goes to show that things are not very stable along that fault line and the situation is constantly changing every day over there.
I did read the NZ website panda page news about Wolong finally getting electricity, water, and other necessary services in the last few days or so. That’s good news for the people and the panda reserve there. Hope that holds up with all of these aftershocks still rumbling. At least the stronger shocks have been decreasing over the last couple of weeks.
Well, gonna go. Gonna go back to the pandacam!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
June 8th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Thanks, Jennifer–it’s good to hear some good news about Wolong in spite of their present situation. I hope they get their power back soon and more permanent housing and a good food supply chain going. It’s fantastic that SDZ’s and Wolong’s joint efforts are proving successful.
Caught Bai Yun and ZZ playing with some sort of block today, which Bai seemed to be really fascinated by. I don’t see her playing with objects very often, so it was a treat to see. Of course, ZZ wanted to play with it too, but I think Bai told her to go play with her own toys!
June 8th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
for Joy #4, if you want to hear some panda “talk,” you can listen to the NZ pandas on their website; click on “get giant panda ringtones,” you can listen for free.
June 8th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
CHINESE PETS JOIN RANKS OF EARTHQUAKE REFUGEES
12 hours ago
DUJIANGYAN, China (AFP) — Although just three years old, Xingxing is being taken away from her family in China’s earthquake zone, heading to a safer place with plenty of dog biscuits.
“It’s sad. We will miss her, of course. She is part of our family,” says Xu Xiaoping, wiping away tears as the Old English sheepdog bounded obliviously into a transport cage in the city of Dujiangyan.
Xingxing is among more than 100 dogs rescued recently from the earthquake-damaged city by Animals Asia, one of a handful of animal-welfare groups that have come to the aid of an overlooked segment of the disaster’s victims.
Rescue and evacuation of human victims is virtually complete nearly a month after an 8.0-magnitude earthquake devastated a large swathe of Sichuan province, but the plight of pets is just beginning to be addressed.
Many of the quake’s millions of homeless live in temporary tent camps, where pets have been banned for health reasons, with authorities summarily culling animals found there.
“As a result, some displaced people have been keeping the pets in their damaged homes, which is a safety risk to both the owner and pet,” said Jill Robinson, founder of Animals Asia, a non-profit organisation based in nearby Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province.
Robinson calls the culls misguided, saying dogs and cats help keep rats and other vermin under control.
“But one of the most important things is the unconditional love and companionship they give people who may have lost loved ones in the quake. So to just kill them is inhumane both for the pets and the owners,” said Robinson, a Briton.
Animals Asia’s primary focus at its Chengdu facility is rehabilitating moon bears, animals that are kept in cages and cruelly milked of the bile in their gall bladders for use in traditional Chinese medicines.
But the group is offering free shelter, food and veterinary care for quake pets taken to the facility. It regularly visits Dujiangyan, about an hour’s drive away, to pick up pets from owners who can no longer care for them.
One of these was Piglet, a squat mutt who did not take it well and was soon muzzled.
“We can’t live in our home anymore and can’t afford to feed her because of the earthquake,” said owner Guang Huihua, 50, who now lives in a tent camp.
“So I feel relieved that I can give her up for now,” said Guang, who plans to take Piglet back once her family is settled.
Doing the right thing for his dog was an easy choice for Liao Shuliang, 70.
Liao said the dog, called Potato for his resemblance to the tuber, roused him by tugging at his trouser leg for about a minute before the quake.
“Then the earthquake came. I took two or three steps out the door and the house fell down. Potato saved me,” said Liao, who gave the pet to Animals Asia.
Several pet-sellers in the city have abandoned their shops due to quake damage, occasionally returning to feed the animals who languish there in their own filth.
Robinson’s persistent staff have persuaded and cajoled the merchants to surrender animals, with one handing over 41 pets.
She is currently seeking funds to build more space in Chengdu for the refugee pets.
“We must stop at some point because taking in too many animals is a welfare issue itself,” she said, urging potential donors to visit the group’s site at animalsasia.org.
“But right now we are just trying to help out as much as we can.”
—end—
‘MODERN DAY’S NOAH’S ARK TO THE RESCUE’- comment mine, solshih
‘TO PANDAS INTERNATIONAL AND SAN DIEGO’S ZOO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ‘OPERATION NOAH’S ARK’ FOR THE PANDAS’ -words mine, solshih
June 9th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Saw that there was another aftershock in the Chengdu region today. Is there a plan to move the remaining pandas at Wolong to another of the reserves if the aftershocks continue? It just can’t be good for either the pandas or the keepers to keep experiencing the aftershocks–so much insecurity.
June 9th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Jennifer - Glad you are home safe and sound.
June 9th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Jennifer - glad you are home - what an experience you must have had. I read something today about how vocal pandas are during mating season. Hope to hear more about what you found.
#11 solshih - Sadly most of us forgot the other animals affected - thanks for a dose of reality as so many have to give up their pets. The sadness for the Chinese continues along with our prayers.
June 9th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
I’m sure the panda conservation effort has benefitted a great deal from the relationship with other zoos, but the Wolong Reserve will get back on its feet mainly from their own hardwork and perseverence, not just help from outside zoos.
June 10th, 2008 at 3:40 am
TEARS AT QUAKE ZONE PANDA FUNERAL
· Body of nine month-old giant panda Mao Mao buried in wooden coffin
· Mao Mao killed in massive earthquake that hit China last month
· Pandas have become endangered species as their habitat is under threat
BEIJING, China (CNN) — Tearful researchers at the world’s most famous panda reserve in China on Tuesday buried one of their animals killed by the massive earthquake that hit the country last month.
The body of nine month-old giant panda Mao Mao was placed into a wooden coffin and buried in a simple funeral ceremony on a hill in the vast Wolong Panda Reserve Center in southwestern China’s Sichuan Province.
Mao Mao’s keeper, He Changgui, wept as he placed apples and a slice of bread — food enjoyed by the animal — on her gravestone as a funeral offering, The Associated Press reported.
“I will go back to see her every day,” He said.
Another Wolong panda, Xiao Xiao, has been missing since the quake, AP reported.
About 130 giant pandas live in the center. Another 150 wild pandas lived on the Wolong reserve before the quake struck, but researchers say it’s unclear how many of the wild pandas survived.
Pandas, which have very restrictive diet and living requirements, have become an endangered species in recent years as their mountain habitats are increasingly under threat. Captive panda mating programs have had only limited success.
More than 69,000 people died in the May 12 earthquake, but more than 17,000 remain missing, according to the official government toll. The magnitude 7.9 quake caused massive damage across Sichuan province.
June 10th, 2008 at 3:53 am
CHINESE RESERVE BURIES PANDA KILLED IN MASSIVE MAY EARTHQUAKE
The Associated Press
Published: June 10, 2008
WOLONG, China: Nearly a month after China’s devastating earthquake, the Wolong Nature Reserve had its first panda funeral Tuesday.
The world famous panda center had been badly damaged by the May 12 quake but officials had initially thought all 64 pandas had survived. Then they discovered two were missing.
Nine-year-old Mao Mao, the mother of five at the breeding center, was discovered on Monday, her body crushed by a wall of her enclosure when the river behind it swelled with landslide debris.
On Tuesday, panda keepers and other workers placed her remains in a small wooden crate and wheeled her quietly to a patch of ground outside the breeding center where a freshly dug hole waited.
“Slowly, slowly,” they said, as they gently set it into the ground.
The center’s director, Zhang Hemin, stood with his cap in hand and then shoveled in a few spades of dirt. Mao Mao’s keeper, He Changgui, stepped forward, crying, and placed two apples and a piece of bread by the covered grave. There were three minutes of silence.
As the others left, the director of the U.S.-based Pandas International, Suzanne Braden, who had arrived the day before to survey the quake damage, put her arm around He.
“You must look after her babies, OK?” she said. “And their babies.”
He nodded. “I will go back to see her everyday,” he said.
Forty-seven pandas continue to live at Wolong, while one other panda, Xiao Xiao, has been missing since the quake.
The endangered panda is revered as a kind of national mascot in China. About 1,590 pandas live in the wild, mostly in Sichuan and the neighboring province of Shaanxi. Another 180 have been bred in captivity.
The nature reserve was heavily damaged by the quake, which was centered just 20 miles (32 kilometers) away in the heart of Sichuan province’s mountainous panda country. Nearly 70,000 people were killed, and more than 5 million were left homeless.
Some of Wolong’s pandas have been moved to another breeding center in Sichuan’s provincial capital, Chengdu, and eight were flown to Beijing for a previously scheduled six-month stay at the Beijing Zoo for the Olympics.
Zhang has said he is considering moving the reserve away from Wolong, which lies in a damp, narrow valley several hours’ drive from Chengdu. Buildings were heavily damaged in the 7.9-magnitude quake, which tossed down boulders the size of cars, and frequent aftershocks continue to rattle the area.
Five Wolong staff members were killed in the quake. Most staffers, tourists and pandas were outside at the time.
With the funeral finished, the center turned quiet Tuesday. Braden distributed donations of a panda stretcher, baby bottles, syringes and drugs.
He, Mao Mao’s keeper, returned from the grave with red eyes. He had been the panda’s only keeper since she was the age of 3. He would speak to her in the local Sichuan dialect as he worked.
“It’s like you could say something and she would understand,” he said. “If you were happy, she was happy too.”
June 10th, 2008 at 5:55 am
GIANT PANDAS IN GANSU: LIVING OR DEAD?
(China.org.cn by Wang Wei, June 10, 2008)
According to a recent report from authorities at Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve in northwest China’s Gansu Province, due to the 8.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Wenchuan, Sichuan Province, parts of the reserve districts were severely damaged. The current living conditions of 102 giant pandas inhabiting this area are still unknown
Living or dead?
When the earthquake hit Sichuan Province on May 12, a strong shock wave was also felt inside the Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve, 250 km away from the epicenter of Wenchuan. The shock measured 7.8-magnitude on the Richter scale.
When the earthquake struck, the Spring Field Investigation Team for Giant Pandas, composed of scientific and technical personnel from the nature reserve authority and local farmer guides, were in the process of conducting their annual spring field investigation on giant pandas living in the reserve.
According to investigation team members, when the earthquake hit, the ground and mountains in the reserve shook, rocks flew amidst landslides, the air was filled with dust, roars went resounding down the valleys, trees collapsed and animals screamed. Luckily, no one in the investigation group was hurt. After the earthquake, some badgers, known companions of the giant pandas, were found injured and some had even perished from flying stones inside the protected zone. To date it is still unknown whether any wild giant pandas have been injured.
Due to earthquake induced landslides, roads were blocked. Also, aftershocks have occurred continuously, so no staff members have been sent to make detailed investigations into the pandas’ living conditions, said Huang Chenxiang, deputy director of the Baishuijiang Reserve Authority.
Baishuijiang Reserve Authority Director Huang Huali, listed their five concerns related to the conservation work:
Firstly, landslides caused trees to collapse in the reserve. This has not only changed the pandas’ original habitat but has also blocked and/or destroyed their migration routes to some extent.
Secondly, landslides and boulders may have buried and/or smashed niitakayamensis – the sole food source for giant pandas.
Thirdly, it is likely that the caves where giant pandas live might be damaged and/or collapsed. Also the hollowed out trees which pandas also enjoy inhabiting may also be destroyed.
Fourthly, May is traditionally the time when giant pandas go into estrus and mate and breed. The earthquake might have impacted upon their mating and breeding cycle, especially those already embarked upon a ‘honeymoon’.
Fifthly, in the reserve, 49 roads, running the entire length of 455 km, were seriously damaged. Protection stations, forest protection spots, check points, field monitoring points for giant pandas as well as fire prevention and communication equipment are all damaged in varying degrees. The same is true for the Giant Panda Museum, the Golden Monkey Museum, the Wildlife Asylum Museum and the Museum of Plants and Animals. Landslides near the reserve administrative office buildings created four cracks in the mountains, with the biggest measuring 60,100 cm wide.
Rescue work to be in full swing
After the earthquake on May 12, 16 members of the investigation team, trapped in mountainous terrain, went ahead with their work. The last group of team members did not return until May 16.
Huang Huali said that when the situation permitted, staff members would be sent to make detailed investigations on the giant panda habitats. To date, scientific and technical personnel, veterinarians and logistics personnel are currently prepared to set out with all kinds of equipment, tents, cookers and etc. They will proceed with their giant panda rescue work when given the go ahead.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:04 am
NEW HOMES FOR WOLONG PANDAS
By Li Xinran | 2008-6-10 | www.shanghaidaily.com
GIANT pandas in the Wolong breeding center will be moved to a new site after the earthquake destroyed their homes, Xinhua news agency reported today.
A new safe site will be chosen for the pandas, said the head of the giant panda preserve and research center.
New breeding houses will be built in the Wolong Natural Reserve, which is especially suitable for the growth of the two varieties of bamboo preferred by the pandas, Li Desheng, vice director of the research center, told Xinhua today.
The May 12 earthquake killed five staff members in the Wolong center and left all the panda enclosures seriously damaged. Of the 32 panda enclosures, 14 were destroyed and the others were severely damaged.
Aftershocks threaten the breeding site which was built on a narrow area surrounded by mountains, Li said. Experts have suggested building new enclosures at a completely new site.
Water, environment and bamboo are the most important requirements for the pandas, Li said.
Wolong is in the southwest part of Wenchuan County and only 10 kilometers from the epicenter in Yinxiu Town. Built in 1963, it is China’s biggest panda reserve and is home to more than 150 giant pandas.
The research center had bred 63 pandas before the earthquake and all were safe except one which went missing in the earthquake, the report said.
China has more than 1,590 pandas living in the wild in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces.
Sichuan, the worst-hit province, is home to 75 percent of the country’s wild pandas while Shaanxi has 17 percent and Gansu 7 percent.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:10 am
SEARCH FOR MISSING CHOPPER ENDS
June 10 2008 at 10:01AM www.iol.co.za
Beijing- A military helicopter that crashed in south-west China 11 days ago during earthquake rescue operations was found on Tuesday, along with the bodies of all 19 passengers, state media said.
The Mi-171 transport helicopter was found just north-west of the town of Yingxiu in mountainous Sichuan province, China News Service reported.
The helicopter, manned by five crew, went missing on May 31 during a mission to evacuate 14 people who had been injured in the May 12 earthquake which devastated large areas of Sichuan.
The bodies of all 19 on board were found, Xinhua news agency said.
The helicopter appeared to have broken up upon impact, with parts including the propeller and airframe found scattered in the bushes, it said.
China Central Television said the helicopter was found at an altitude of 2 800m above sea level.
Searchers had been plagued by fog and overcast weather in their attempts to find the missing chopper in the rugged, forested mountainous area, earlier reports said.
Thousands of soldiers were mobilised for the ground search operation
June 11th, 2008 at 2:21 am
ONE PANDA CONFIRMED DEAD IN CHINA QUAKE
www.chinaview.cn 2008-06-10 18:07:33
CHENGDU, June 10 (Xinhua) — A 9-year-old female giant panda that had lived at the Wolong nature reserve was confirmed dead as a result of the May 12 earthquake, with her body retrieved and buried on Tuesday.
Mao Mao was among six pandas who went missing after the quake. The other five were found.
Rescuers found the body in the rubble of the pandas’ pens on Monday and excavated it on Tuesday morning, said Li Desheng, vice director of the Conservation and Research Center of the Wolong Nature Reserve for Giant Pandas.
“Mao Mao had three offspring, aged between less than one year old and three years old. All of them will be raised carefully,” Li said.
The Wolong reserve sustained severe damage from a quake-triggered landslide, with the death of five staff and the panda Mao Mao. Fourteen of the 32 pens were destroyed.
The Conservation and Research Center might relocate because of safety concerns, Li said.
“According to the appraisal of an expert team, it is not appropriate to rebuild the damaged low-lying panda shelters and research center at the present site because aftershocks might bring secondary disasters, such as landslides,” Li said.
He said the new facility, including shelters, a panda research center and a breeding center, would still be located within the Wolong Nature Reserve, deep in the hills north of Chengdu, Sichuan provincial capital, whose humid climate was favorable for bamboo, pandas’ favorite food.
Wolong reserve has more than 150 pandas living in the wild. Eight pandas from the Wolong base were airlifted to Beijing Zoo last month where they will stay through the Olympics, and another six were taken to Sichuan’s Ya’an base, which was less affected by the earthquake.
There are about 1,590 pandas living in the wild in China, mostly in Sichuan and the northwestern provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu. Another 180 are being bred in captivity.