Giant panda, a symbolic animal of the World Foundation for Wild Animal Protection, is popular for its lovely appearance and rarity. At present, there are 18 nature reserves for pandas, 16 of which are in
Sichuan Province, the home to panda. Following are the most famous panda reserves in China for you reference.
Wolong Panda Reserve
Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve is located at the southwest of Wenchuan County, and first constructed in 1963, it is one of the earliest comprehensive national reserves. The place has more than 100 pandas, accounting 10% of the total number in the country. Besides, there are other rare animals and plants as well as rich water resources.
The semi-nature enclosures of the Wolong Giant Panda Center are very large wild areas but protected by border fences. Those giant pandas that will soon be released back to the wild will be put in the semi-nature enclosures for a long enough period of time for them to adapt to the natural environment. Although food has to be provided, the giant pandas will sleep there, eat there and recover their natural survival skills there until they can be released back to the wild.
After the China Earthquake of May 12, 2008，There were 63 Giant Pandas at the Wolong Panda Center before the quake. One was killed while another remains missing and one died from illness following the earthquake. Several Giant Pandas had to be rescued from their enclosures and one Giant Panda, Gao Gao, was significantly injured
Bifengxia Panda Base
Bifengxia Valley is 8km away from Ya'an city, on the southwest of
Chengdu. Ya'an is the very place where the panda was first found in China. Since the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, many pandas have been moved to Bifengxia from Wolong and other places, including the famous Tuanatuan and Yuanyuan given to Taiwan.
Now that it has been selected as China's latest giant panda protection base, Bifengxia has a new role to play in altering the destiny of the endangered species. Pandas will be returned to nature after they have been given relevant training in simulated wild environments. At up to 1,200 meters above sea level, Bifengxia is under the jurisdiction of Ya'an City. In the dense broadleaf forest with singing birds and murmuring streams stands a big gate with the image of a lovely giant panda carved on it, marking the entrance to Bifengxia Giant Panda Base. Walking through the gate and along the meandering mountain slope for a while, visitors can see several European-style cabins made of bricks and tiles. These are the pandas' homes.
Bifengxia was planned to house mostly sub-adults not yet in the breeding program and senior pandas, too old for breeding. However, a small breeding area was constructed in addition to the hospital.
In 2008, there were 13 baby pandas surviving in the Bifeng Gorge Base. On Feb.12nd, 2009, the base held a simple ceremony for these small pandas as they attended the panda kindergarten. It is known that the giant pandas, who temporarily live in the base, will return to the Wolong National Natural Reserve after its restoration in two or three years time.
Mt. Siguniang Nature Reserve
Mt. Siguniang National Nature Reserve is located in Xiaojin County of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. It is about 220 kilometers away from Chengdu of Sichuan Province.
Mt, Siguniang also known as Four Girls Moutains. It was listed as the National Scenic Resort in 1994 and as the National Nature Reserve in the year of 1996, covering an area of 2,000 square kilometers. Mt. Siguniang National Nature Reserve consists of Mt. Balang, Changping and Mt. Siguniang.
There are 4 peaks stands side by side like 4 sisters, hence the name. Local people think the four peaks were 4 beautiful sisters of the god of the mountain. There are about 4,000 species of plants, 50 kinds of beasts, 300 varieties of birds and 29 species rare animals. Panda is a kind of rare animals in the Reserve Recently; it has been listed as a United Nations International Wildlife Reserve.
Laba River Reserve
Laba River Nature Reserve is located at the southeast of the Jiajinshan Mountain in Tianquan County of Sichuan Province. It was established in 1963, covering an area of 23872 hectares.
The Reserve has rich plant species and complicated vegetation types. There are about 18 kinds of plants protected by nation law, such as Gongtong, Tetracentron and Cercidiphyllum japonicum. With the rising of altitude, the vegetation here is obvious vertical distribution.
There are 46 known kinds of beasts, 164 known varieties of birds, 7 known species of fishes and 14 kinds of known Reptiles. Among these species, 32 of them are protected by nation law, such as giant panda, takin, snub-nosed monkey, lesser panda, red deer, leopard, etc.
Heishuihe Giant Nature Reserve
Heishuihe Giant Panda Nature Reserve is located in Dayi County, lying in the western margin of Chengdu Plain, of Sichuan Province. Covering an area of 450200 square meters, the nature reserve is abundant plant and animal resources, for example, the giant panda.
According to the third giant panda census, Heishuihe Giant Panda Nature Reserve was one of the top 10 among the 39 panda distributed counties. With abundant edibility bamboo, proper altitude and humiture, and other comfortable nature environment, it is very suitable habitant for the Growth and breeding of giant panda.
In the China Earthquake of May 12, 2008, large scale area of mountain landslide occurred in Heishuihe Giant Panda Nature Reserve, which forms blocked riverbeds, roads and broken bridges. And the Reserve suffers from serious losses. Damaged woodland here is about more than 14,650 mu, which causes about 10% serious damage in the habitat and the living environment of giant panda and wildlife.
Anzihe Giant Panda Nature Reserve
Anzihe Giant Panda Nature Reserve is situated in the northwest corner of Chongzhou City, Sichuan Province; the reserve is 98 kilometers from Chengdu. Like the Wolong Nature Reserve, Fengtongsai Nature Reserve in Baoxing and Labahe Nature Reserve in Tianquan around, they constitute a protective community for giant pandas around the Qionglai Mountains and successfully ensure the stability of giant panda groups.
Anzihe Grant Panda Nature Reserve leads giant panda nature reserves of china in the number of pandas. It is also boasts the largest waterfalls, the largest maple, the ruins of the quaternary glaciers, the ruins of the quaternary glaciers, etc., in Sichuan Province. And It is a reserve with rich scenes of mysterious alpine astronomical phenomena.
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