Panda News from around the world
  • Zhang Ka Gives Birth to Twins in the Wolong Semi Wild Centre

    Another success for the Wolong semi wild team, Zhang Ka an 11 year old wild born Giant Panda has given birth to twins. The second cub was a girl and weighed 137.4g at birth. The second cub was removed because Giant Panda mothers can only raise one cub at a time and the second is usually left to die.

    She was mated with Bai Yang on May 26th 2011.

    Mother and cubs doing well.
  • Su Lin Provides First Cub of 2011

    At 12:36 Local time on July the 7th 2011 Su Lin (Born at San Diego Zoo), gave birth to the first cub of the year.

    When the Cub was first born, Su Lin was a bit surprised but after a few minutes a strong maternal instinct took over and Su Lin began to mother the new cub.

    At 13:12 another cub was born but this was an underdeveloped fetus and soon died. The keepers immediately took away this cub.

    Su Lin and Cub are both being watched very carefully by staff via CCTV cameras.

    Well done Su Lin, and congratulations to the hard working staff of CCRCGP at Wolong.
  • Su Lin Moves to New Home

    The Wolong Panda Park Blog has released some photos of when they transfered Su Lin to the semi wild enclosure near to Wolong.

    Su Lin along with 5 other pandas who were bred this year have been release in to semi wild enclosures. These enclosures are a lot bigger than the ones at Bi Feng Xia and the pandas will not interact with humans.

    It is hoped that the pregnant Giant Pandas will give birth and bring up their cubs in a more natural way. This is one of the first steps of many of being able to release Giant Pandas back in to the wild.
  • Fewer Pandas to be Born This Year.

    In 1997 a study concluded that a total of 300 captive Giant Pandas were needed to create a self sustaining population.

    Last year when a total of 32 surviving panda cubs born this target was breached.

    Whilst this is a massive success to the pandas and the panda experts, it was achieved at the risk of inbreeding, as most captive born pandas are descended from only 4 pandas.
  • Wolong Pandas on Schedule to Return Home Next Year

    When a 7.8 earthquake struck China On May the 8th 2008, it caused wild spread destruction to people and buildings. It also killed two captive pandas (Mao Mao killed in her enclosure under a falling wall, and Xiao Xiao escaped and is presumed dead).

    Of the remaining 61 Pandas there were at Wolong on the day all but seven were transferred to other centres with a large number going to Bifeng Xia (Where I spent my time volunteering in Septemeber 2008).
  • Pandas International donate new cameras

    The wonderful people at Pandas International have sent some camera equipment over to the panda club. They hope that they can be of use in monitoring and recording when pandas are giving birth.

    Pandas International provide lots of items for the pandas including incubators and panda milk. After the earthquake they also supplied emergency equipment for both pandas and humans.

    Pandas International is currently running a Pennies 4 Pandas drive, why not head over and make a small donation to help protect our wonderful friends the pandas.
  • Pandas International May Newsletter / Appeal.

    This months newsletter from Pandas International. Republished with permission.

    One Year Later, Earthquake Damage Affects Pandas & Staff
    Dear Friend of Pandas International,
  • Zhang Hemin speaks

    Zhang Hemin (Father of the panda) who is the head of China Conservation and Research Centre of the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), has been talking to the Chinese Network (not sure if it's a radio program or station) about the earthquake on May 12th 2008, the effects on the pandas and the current and future plans.

    Zhang praised the bravery of the staff during the earthquake in saving the pandas and the tourists who were there at the time. Luckily no people were seriously hurt at the time at the centre but one panda died and one is still missing, presumably dead.
  • Remaining Wolong Pandas move home

    The 6 pandas "Wen yu" , "Qing feng" , "Shui Ling" , "Wu juan" , "Xiang ge" and "Wang jia" who were left at Wolong Research Centre after the quake have been moved to the Bifengxia Research Centre.

    The pandas were originally moved 6km away from the Wolong research centre and specialist care was provided.
    The pandas who are nearly two now had to be moved as the temporary accommodation there is no longer suitable for them. The pandas have grown from around 20kgs each to 60-70 kgs each, and the centre is no longer safe for them.
  • Wild Panda birth rate to be redced this year.

    Experts have predicted that the areas that were effected by the May 12th earthquake last year may see a reduction in the number of panda cub births this year.

    "Wild pandas must store energy before moving to higher altitudes for reproduction between March and July, but most of the bamboo plants in the habitats were buried in the quake, making it difficult for wild pandas to find food," said Zhang Hemin, director of the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in the Wolong nature reserve. "This will affect their reproduction.
  • Filiming for Wolong's 30th

    Next year the Wolong Panda Research Centre will be 30 years old. To celebrate the occasion, renowned Chinese Film make Luo Xiao-Yun has been asked to produce a film.
    Here are some photos from the shoot.
  • More destruction at Wolong

    On February 12th 2009 a gale roared across Wolong, causing more destruction on a place that is still trying to repair the wounds caused by the earthquake of May 12th 2008.

    A 40 mile an hour caused sand and stone to fly, landslides caused by the earthquake to be whipped into the air. It damaged 341 temporary dwellings, 12 emergency toilets, 7 bathrooms, 65 satellite receivers and 3022 sq m of greenhouses. Some communications and power transmission lines were destroyed. The estimated cost of the damages is nearly 1 Million Yuan.
  • Concern over reconstruction plan

    Plans that have been started to reconstruct the destruction caused by the massive earthquake on May 12th 2008, but some experts are warning that hasty rebuilding could accelerate the fragmentation of the fragile pandas habitat.

    "The earthquake and the human response to the earthquake are actually posing new threats to the long-term viability of the wild pandas," said Marc Brody, founder of the conservation group Panda Mountain—U.S.-China Environmental Fund. Brody has been working in the region for nearly a decade and is helping the Chinese government with blueprints for reconstruction.
  • Wolong facility begins reconstruction

    It has been reported on MSNBC that repairs have started at the Wolong Research Centre, which was all but destroyed during the May 12th earthquake. Director Zhang Hemin said that it should take three years before the repairs are completed and the rescued Pandas can return.
  • Wolong Panda Club ask for more Adoptees

    Wolong Panda Club is asking for more people and groups to adopt a panda. Of the 14 Panda cubs born last year at the Bifengxia research centre only 2 so far have been adopted. It costs around $6,000 to adopt a club.

    Lets see if we can some money to adopts one. There is a donate button in the sidebar now, which will whisk you away to paypal to donate. I know times are hard but even a little will help us help pandas. Please ask your friends and family to donate aswell
  • Wild Rescued Panda Dies

    A panda that was found by a villager and taken to the Wolong base has died. The staff did everything they could for the panda and it appeared it was getting a little better but 13 days later he died due to the condition of his vital organs. Staff are performing an autopsy to find the curse.
  • Panda rescued and sent to Wolong

    On October 26th 2008, a villager of Wolong Gengda Town found a wild panda at the gate to his house he contacted officials, who organised for the panda to be transferred to the Wolong Hetaoping base. Once there she was given a physical examination and a transfusion. The female panda thought to be between 10 and 12 years of age was in a poor condition and under weight (60kg). She is currently being watched and cared for by the staff.
  • Tourists numbers back up after Quake.

    After the devastating earth quake on May 12th, Tourists to Wolong and Chengdu Research Centres fell. Whilst Wolong has been pretty much destroyed and will take some time before it is fully functional again Chengdu is reporting that tourists are returning and numbers are about the same as last year.

    October is the golden month in the Base’s annual tourism season. During the 7-day national holiday (this year from September 29 to October 5), about 31,822 tourists from home and abroad visited the Base, engaging in an exploration of the panda’s life and its survival secrets.
  • Hong Kong quake aid money to help pandas

    Almost half of Hong Kong's aid package to help China's quake-stricken Sichuan will be used to restore a giant panda reserve, the government said Sunday.
  • Chicken soup is good for the .... Pandas?

    It appears that two pandas that left Wolong and set up home at Wuhan Zoo, didn't like all the comotion caused by the 10,000 visitors to the zoo during the nation's holiday and were given Chicken soup to help calm them down.

    Three-year-old Xiwang and Weiwei were unsettled by the tens of thousands of visitors to Wuhan Zoo during last week's National holidays.

    The pair, whose names mean "Hope" and "Greatness" in Chinese, began pacing restlessly around their enclosure, according to He Zhihua, their keeper.