Pandas Keepers Stayed Put for Holidays

During the recent Spring Festival holiday, a team of dedicated workers remained on duty at the Qinling Giant Panda Foping Rescue Breeding Research Base in Shaanxi province. This facility, established in October 2022, is committed to managing giant pandas, alongside rescuing and treating those injured or ill in the wild. Yang Li, deputy director, has spent six years at the base and her fourth Spring Festival caring for the animals. Her duties include health monitoring, public science education, and extensive patrols through challenging terrain. She finds deep satisfaction in safeguarding the Qinling Mountains' ecological security, even as families reunite elsewhere.

Yang likens panda care to raising children, emphasizing meticulous attention to detail, such as disinfecting food. She notes that pandas are particularly active during the festival period due to Foping's climate and have no concept of holidays. The base aims to house over 20 pandas once fully operational and will utilize its laboratory by 2026 to monitor panda health. Foping county is vital for conservation, with its nature reserve holding the highest panda population density in China, approximately 67 pandas recorded in a 2011-2014 survey. The base also serves multiple functions, including wildlife rescue, research, and public education.