Giant Panda breeding research base Chengdu

Giant Panda breeding research base 熊猫基地

This is the world's most populous Panda site. You will not find such high concentration of Pandas anywhere else in the world and many come to Chengdu just to see the Pandas. Another panda conservation area is located further away from the city and on the foothills of QingCheng mountain.

In the 1980s a once in 60 year crisis hit Sichuan and the pandas hard. Bamboo forests went through a super rare cycle of flowering and dying before regenerating, said Yang Xuyu, deputy head of the province's Wild Animal Preservation Station. Pandas get most of their nutrition from arrow bamboo and can starve once the plant enters its dying-off stage. The bamboo produces seeds before dying, and takes 10 to 20 years to grow back. Pandas starved throughout Sichuan. It was estimated that several hundred pandas died of starvation from the 1980s bamboo flowering crisis.

Giant Panda breeding research base 熊猫基地 bamboo

This brought to the attention of conservationists and an establishment to protect and breed pandas was initiated. The Giant Panda breeding research base completed in 1993.

Giant Panda breeding research base 熊猫基地 eating bamboo shoots

Pandas were endangered because of their ridiculously low birth rates.
3 reasons why pandas have such low birthrates

Female pandas ovulate just once a year, in the spring. Furthermore, the female can only conceive for about two or three days around ovulation, fertile for 24 to 36 hours in a year which means she has to mate during that period. Females are fertile between the ages of about 4 to 20.
Gestation is between 95-160 days and very hard to tell if a panda is actually pregnant
Panda mothers will only pick one baby to nurse if she has twins or triplets. Usually will give baby pandas to more experienced mothers to nurse and the rest of the babies will be fed by zookeepers.

Pandas around the world mate around the same time, thus most pandas have the same birthdays. The panda babies are placed together until around 2.5 years when they will start getting territorial, often marking their territory with urine and scent. Even if a mother encounters an offspring in later years, they will also fight over territory.

Giant Panda breeding research base 熊猫基地 1.5 month old panda

Best months to visit to see baby pandas - Sept Oct
Pandas usually give birth in August and you can see new-born pandas or panda babies in August and September. If you are visiting the base in this period,you need to see the pink or fluffy panda babies in Moonlight Delivery House and Sunshine Nursery house. If there are no new-born pandas to see, you can visit the surrounding kindergarten where groups of youngsters play and eat. Below are six month old twins on trees. Babies stay on trees during the day to avoid natural predators. They usually come down to feed during the night.

Giant Panda breeding research base 熊猫基地 baby twins

The cubs all live together until 2.5 years old as they will start getting territorial. Everyday, Pandas are given a five grain pastry and an apple as supplement.

This baby did not get her treat and chooses to chill on the side while the rest fight over for food.

Giant Panda breeding research base 熊猫基地 baby

Kung fu panda team got inspiration from Ah Po ( 阿宝）a panda from Chengdu.

Giant Panda breeding research base 熊猫基地 A Po

Giant Panda breeding research base 熊猫基地 panda

Tips:

to see baby pandas, come in Sept - Oct
Come early, 8-11 am. Pandas are more active and can see morning feeding routine
Get your tickets in advance or at the exit of the Metro line to avoid lines
Take the sightseeing car, it saves a lot of walking
Make sure to see the moon/sun nurseries

Sightseeing car:

The park is enormous and it takes more than 3 hours to walk through. For ¥10/person, the electric tram will cut your walking time in half and trams run from 08:00 ~ 17:30 (from April to October), and 08:00 ~ 17:00 (from November to next March)

Transportation: Metro line 3 takes you to the Panda stop and you can board a free shuttle bus to the Panda base

Entrance Fee：CNY 58 Free for children under 1.3m (4.3ft)

Hours：07:30 to 18:00 (tickets sales closed at 17:00)

Location to search for in Baidu or GaoDe map:成都大熊猫繁育研究基地

Address:成都市成华区熊猫大道1375号

Phone: 028-83510033 028-83516808