Chengdu, China
Enjoy a visit to the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding, serving as one of the best possible locations for Giant Pandas to rear and breed thanks to its state-of-the-art recreation of their natural habitat. In addition to pandas, the base also cares for black-necked cranes, white storks and lesser pandas.
This 165 acre base is home to a delightful Panda Nursery, Sub-Adult & Adult Panda enclosures in addition to South China Tigers, Golden Monkeys, Red Pandas and other endangered species.
Giant pandas are a national treasure in China and loved by people the world over. Found only in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu Provinces, there are now fewer than 1000 pandas, 80% of which live in the hilly, deciduous forests of Sichuan.
This unique bear has long been revered by the Chinese and can be found in Chinese art dating back thousands of years. The Chinese call their beloved pandas "large bear-cats." People outside of China have been fascinated by giant pandas since they were first described by French Missionary Pere Armand David in 1869. Now, more than 100 years later, the worldwide love for pandas has been combined with international efforts to keep them from becoming extinct.
Giant pandas are only about the size of a stick of butter at birth, and they're hairless and helpless.
The panda mother gives great care to her tiny cub, usually cradling it in one paw and holding it close to her chest. For several days after birth, the mother does not leave the den, not even to eat or drink. Yet despite the attention they receive from their mothers, many young pandas do not survive.
Bamboo is the most important plant in a giant panda's life. Pandas live in cold and rainy bamboo forests high in the mountains of western China.