The Story of the Wolong Panda Center

The Wolong Panda Center was located in the Wolong Nature Reserve, which
covers 200,000 hectares (494,210 acres) with elevations ranging from 1555 to
4600 meters (4,000 to 11,000 ft).

The Wolong Nature Reserve was established in 1963 to further the Chinese
Government’s commitment to preserve the giant panda that is seen as a national
treasure.

In 2008 there was a large earthquake, which damaged much of the Wolong
Panda Center.

Before the earthquake, the Wolong Panda Center was the oldest and largest
panda breeding center in the world. Here are some facts about the center and
reserve:

• It was a peaceful valley home to 63 giant

pandas
• There was a staff of 85 working and living
in the immediate vicinity
• The bamboo forest supported the needs
of the giant pandas at the center and
provided a livelihood for local villagers
• The Center generated 1oo,ooo yuan
($14,623 US) in tourism
• Cub survival went from 30% to 90%
following the construction of the Wolong
Panda Center in 1980

After the earthquake, however much of the Wolong Panda Center was destroyed.
Some effects of the earthquake were:

• One panda, Mao Mao, was killed in her enclosure. One is missing and one,
Zhu Hai, died of an acute disease because the roads to the hospital were
impassable
• Massive landslides made the entire Panda Center unsafe and all pandas
had to be evacuated
• State Forestry Bureau evacuated 53 pandas to Bifengxia Panda Center, 8
went to Beijing (but have since returned to Bifengxia), and other pandas
went to various reserves and zoos
• Economic loss at Wolong alone was estimated at 2 billion yuan
($292,440,415 US)

Currently, there are efforts to ensure that the damage at Wolong is fixed. The
panda center is being rebuilt in a safer place, as well as bamboo forests are
being replanted. Pandas International is working hard to support the
development of this new center.