On April 9, while conducting spring monitoring of giant pandas and their habitat in the Huayang area of the Shaanxi Changqing National Nature Reserve, staff members encountered wild giant pandas twice in a single day and captured video footage of their activities.
At 10:00 a.m., the first survey team spotted the first wild giant panda in the Baiyangping Shuidonggou area. They immediately recorded the moment with their phones.
The panda was less than 10 meters away from the staff and was drinking water in the riverbed. After locking eyes with the staff for a few seconds, it continued drinking calmly, seemingly unbothered. Once it had its fill, it turned and disappeared into the dense forest.
At 10:50 a.m., another survey team discovered a second wild giant panda near the edge of a Bashan bamboo grove in the direction of Canger Cliff’s western valley. They captured video footage from about five meters away. This panda was munching on bamboo and, after about a minute, turned and walked toward the hillside behind it.
Based on their body shape, movement, and the time and location of the sightings, staff determined that these were two healthy adult giant pandas.
Currently, the wild pandas have just finished their mating season. The fresh bamboo shoots sprouting in low-altitude areas are their favorites. As temperatures rise, the bamboo shoots gradually emerge at higher altitudes, and the pandas will follow, migrating uphill in search of food.