Q: What work has China done in in situ conservation of giant pandas?
A: The Chinese government has issued a number of laws and regulations such as the Wildlife Protection Law of the People's Republic of China and the Regulations on the Management of Nature Reserves of the People's Republic of China, and implemented key forestry priorities such as natural forest resource protection, returning farmland to forests and grasslands, wildlife protection and the construction of nature reserves. The project will continuously improve the nature reserve system. Today, the conditions of the giant panda have been significantly improved, the wild population has gradually recovered, and the number of panda's nature reserves has reached 67, with a total habitat area of 2.58 million hectares. Four national giant panda surveys have been carried out.
Q: What are the three main approaches to the conservation of endangered giant panda species?
A: The first approach is in situ conservation, which is the ideal method to protect its habitat and allow it to reproduce naturally. The second is ex situ conservation. Zoologist from zoos and giant panda scientific research institutions will breed and feed giant pandas to expand their captive-bred population. The third is the hybrid approach by combining the first and the second methods. While protecting panda's natural habitat, the captive bred panda will go through "wild survival training" and then be released to the habitat, so as to enrich and expand the wild panda population.
Q: How many giant panda nature reserves are there in China?
A: So far, 67 giant panda nature reserves have been established.
Q: Which giant panda nature reserves were established first?
A: China issued the "Instructions on Active Protection and Rational Utilization of Wild Animal Resources" in the 1960s, and for the protection of wild giant pandas, the first four giant panda nature reserves were designated in 1963. It is the Wolong Nature Reserve, Baishuihe Nature Reserve, Wanglang Nature Reserve and Labahe Nature Reserve, covering an area of about 900 square kilometers. After 1970, according to the distribution of giant pandas, 8 national nature reserves were further established: Sichuan Fengtongzhai National Nature Reserve, Shaanxi Foping National Nature Reserve, Gansu Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Mabian Dafengding National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Xiaozhaizigou National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Meigu Dafengding National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve. In the 1980s, 23 new nature reserves were further established to protect giant pandas.
Q: When did China's earliest scientific research activities on giant pandas begin?
A: In 1974, led by Professor Hu Jinchu from the Department of Biology, Nanchong Normal University, Sichuan (now the School of Life Sciences, Xihua Normal University, Sichuan), a field survey and research team of about 30 people, which was named as Sichuan Rare Animal Resources Survey Team, was established. They started the first wild giant panda survey in China (and also the world's first comprehensive census of the number of wild giant pandas).
Q: When and where was the first giant panda field observation station built?
A: The first field observation station for giant pandas, the "Wuyipeng" field observation station for giant pandas, was established in Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan in 1978. It was the first giant panda field observation station.
Q: How did the "Wuyipeng" get its name?
A: The field observation station was built with canvas back then. There is a staircase connecting the tent station and the water intake pool, with a total of 51 steps. Scientists call this observation station built with canvas tents "Wuyipeng" (Chinese: a tent with 51 steps).
Q: What is the altitude of the first giant panda field observation station?
A: 2,520 meters.
Q: What other observation stations are there for giant panda ecology research?
A: There are also Foping Sanguan Temple Observation Station and Yangxian Giant Panda Observation Station in Shaanxi Province, Tangjiahe Baixiongping Observation Station and Mabian Dafengding Observation Station, Mianning Yele Observation Station in Sichuan Province, etc.
Q: When was China's first institution specializing in giant panda conservation research established?
A: With the support of the World Wide Fund for Nature (World Wildlife Fund International), China established the "China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda" in 1981. Since then, international cooperative research on giant pandas has been initiated. The center has also played an important leadership role in the ex situ and in situ protection work of giant pandas.
Q: When was China's project to protect giant pandas and their habitats launched?
A: In 1992.
Q: When were the four special field surveys on giant pandas organized by the Chinese government?
A: They are: from 1974 to 1977, the number of giant pandas found in the first survey was about 2,459; from 1985 to 1988, the number found in the second survey dropped to more than 1,114; from 1999 to 2003, the number found in the third survey was 1,596; from 2011 to 2014, the number found in the fourth survey reached about 1,864.
Q: What are the methods of surveying giant pandas in the wild?
A: There are several methods for surveying giant pandas in the wild, such as: Bite knot method: According to the length, thickness and chewing degree of bamboo knots in the feces of giant pandas, the approximate age, individuals, population numbers, and activities of giant pandas can be identified. DNA identification method: collect giant panda feces or hair and other tissue samples in the wild, and extract panda's DNA for analysis. Nowadays, there are several mature analytical technologies, which can more accurately determine the identity, age, gender, blood relationship, etc. The disadvantage is that the technology applied is complicated and the cost is high. Footprint recognition method: Dr. Li Binbin of Duke Kunshan University announced at the end of 2017 that he has established a footprint model recognition method that can be used to identify individual giant pandas and their gender. This method still requires field practice to verify its effectiveness.
