Helping the Panda after the earthquake

It has been terrible to watch the pictures coming from China recently after the earthquakes and aftershocks there. Both animals and humans have been affected; of the animal variety, the Wolong Panda Reserve sits right close to the centre of where the first large earthquake struck on Monday 12 May.

There are about 1,590 pandas left in the wilds of China now, plus 180 or so in various reserves in the Sichuan province, where the earthquake struck, so the pandas at the various reserves are vital to conservation efforts. There’s no doubt about it: pandas need help. A question many will ask is: why help animals the panda when people so desperately need help too?

The panda is important to the Chinese people. The Chinese see the panda as a symbol of their efforts to protect species which are endangered. The panda acts as a sort of check to remind people of the importance of the balance of nature, and the ability of people and animals to live in harmony. The loss of animals such as the panda affects eco-systems in the area and has a knock-on effect for other animals.

With their cuddly appearances, pandas are highly effective at spreading goodwill. Eight of them are off by aircraft to Beijing Zoo to play their part in the Beijing Olympics. Of six pandas who went missing after the earthquake, two – Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan – are due to be given to Taiwan as a goodwill gift. The couple are key symbols of reconciliation between China and Taiwan after many years of rivalry and their names had been in a contest entered by thousands of people. People in Taiwan are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan. The two pandas had both fled after the earthquake, but ambled back to the reserve after failing to find food in the wild.

Pandas International is devoted to saving the panda through research and preservation efforts. It supports panda nature reserves in China through activities such as research, breeding programmes and veterinary care and helps in the reintroduction of pandas back into the wild. It raises money for such activities, including also habitat preservation and enhancement. It supports the China Conservation & Research Centers for the Giant Pandas at the Wolong panda reserve in the Sichuan Province, which was at the centre of the earthquake, and the Bifengxia panda reserve, Yaan City.

Wolong Panda Reserve needs help to rebuild the centre, much of which was damaged or destroyed in the earthquake. Also urgently needed are medical and veterinary supplies and food lots of it, as pandas eat a lot of bamboo and much of their supply has been destroyed in the earthquake. You can find out more about the damage caused and check for news at www.pandasinternational.org

Examples of ways you can help the panda include adopting one, on-line searches, donating money, becoming a member of Pandas International and hosting a panda party to raise money for the pandas. You can find more information on how to help at www.pandasinternational.org.