Panda Heaven

A highlight of our stay in Chengdu was a half day stop at their renowned Panda Breeding Center, a world class research and breeding facility on the edge of town. For a variety of reasons, giant pandas are notoriously difficult to breed. This center, the closest of several research centers and preserves in the Chengdu area dedicated to panda research, has an enviable record at successful births, with one supermom recording more than 10 babies.





The center is located a beautifully landscaped facility that uses walls of bamboo to lead visitors into the central area housing the giant pandas. We first went to the area where young adults were just settling into their morning feeding of specially grown bamboo pods. The four adolescents that were out when we arrived were very laid back, seemingly comfortable with endless waves of tourists who come in to gawk. With all the food they could consume at their feet, they were content to lay back and enjoy the show of oohs and aahs. There was a little bit of stealing going on, but nothing too provocative. They have a wonderful enclosure that allows them ample space to play and move around. Amazing, beautiful animals – a gift to see so many of them enjoying each other so much.


After the adults, we moved to the main event, the enclosure with the cubs. These little balls of fur were so cute as they chased each other, and their caregiver, around their equally spacious and generously supplied play area. There were probably about 8 of them in total – running in and out of their indoor play area, interacting with the attendants. They seemed less aware of our presence than the adults and were much more mobile. We watched several of them climbing the structure, wrestling and playing on the slide. In an adjacent cage, visitors were able to pay to have their picture taken with the older adults, an option that we declined.





The research center also includes a rather large area for red pandas, a raccoon like animal that is related (through their mutual love for bamboo) to the giant pandas. Not nearly as cute, these isolated animals are placed in large pens that force them into unnatural proximity that leaves some of the red pandas earless - tell tale signs of a secret pecking order.





We watched them for a bit before going to a theater where they showed an informative video on their breeding habits and the work of the research center to help increase their numbers. Our half day tour ended with a quick trip through the museum where you could find out more about this odd, 6 million year old creature that has transformed itself from an aggressive carnivore to such a docile symbol of the need for global efforts to protect increasingly fragile ecosystems.