Panda Recovery Efforts
Thursday, 03 February 2011 08:42
Tweet
Within Wolong there is a sculpture showing the efforts made by people to rescue pandas. The sculpture was in the park prior to the earthquake, but the same sentiment and dedication was seen after the earthquake. 
It is humbling to come and visit the facilities in China and to get an appreciation of the efforts people are putting into saving this iconic species – and with it some of the world's amazing biological diversity in Sichuan – a biodiversity hotspot.
The staff at Wolong face a variety of difficulties in order to do their work and sacrifice much that we take for granted to do so. With the roads being so bad, staff live on site and often work for 3-6 weeks straight before being able to take 6-8 days off at a time to enable them to visit family and friends – it certainly isn't a commute that you want to be doing on a regular basis with the roads in their current condition. There are also limited places to buy food, so when people make the trip from Chengdu or Ya'an it is often with supplies for the team. The physical environment also places another set of challenges on the staff and facilities – the steep, mountainous terrain makes caring for the animals more challenging, and the weather conditions mean there is a continual challenge to maintain the facilities eg metal work rusts rapidly.
Having spoken with some representative
s from other international zoos and hearing about the lengths they go to in order to be able to become part of this program, it brings home how privileged we are to be part of this conservation project and also to have the opportunity to share experiences with our Chinese collaegues. In addition to all that we have learnt in terms of facts and figures, what Simon and I will both remember from this trip is the friendship we have been shown by some truly inspiring people who have generously shared their time and have opened their hearts to us, and given us a glimpse into the world of the panda.
It is only with the support of Mr Li and Prof Huang and his team that Simon and I were privileged enough to be able to learn more about the work being undertaken and to be able to share these stories with you. So thanks to the CCRCGP and CWCA staff for making this opportunity possible.
Wendy
Manager of Conservation Programs, Zoos SA
Photos: Sculpture at Wolong Panda Base
