Enjoying a “midnight snack” and strolling freely through the forest—since last year, wild giant pandas in the Baishuijiang section of the Giant Panda National Park have frequently appeared in front of real-time monitoring cameras, allowing the public to witness more of their adorable behaviors beyond their usual clumsy charm.
On February 16, the Gansu Forestry and Grassland Bureau reported that, with the accelerated establishment of a natural protected area system in recent years, populations of flagship species such as giant pandas, golden snub-nosed monkeys, and takins in Gansu have been steadily increasing. Footage from recent field video monitoring shows that wild giant panda activity remains high, with frequent appearances displaying a variety of endearing behaviors.
Just days before the Lunar New Year, technicians from Gansu’s National Park Monitoring Center spotted a wild giant panda in the Baima River area of the Gansu section of the Giant Panda National Park, only four days after the last recorded sighting.
Video footage captured an active and playful wild panda appearing three times within ten minutes. It first surveyed its surroundings in the snow, then crawled forward before returning to its original position. Finally, while exploring its habitat, the panda playfully “destroyed” the field monitoring equipment set up in its home territory.
In early January, monitoring equipment in the Ranshui River area of the Gansu section of the Giant Panda National Park recorded another panda marking its territory before slowly walking past the camera and pausing briefly, as if to assert its claim over the area.
Giant pandas are native to parts of western Sichuan, southwestern Shaanxi, and southern Gansu. The Baishuijiang section of the Giant Panda National Park, located in Longnan, Gansu, serves as a vital habitat for wild pandas and their companion species. It is the single largest nature reserve in China with the highest number of wild pandas. According to China’s Fourth National Giant Panda Survey, 110 of Gansu’s 132 wild pandas reside in this protected area.
Zhang Xuchen, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Gansu Forestry and Grassland Bureau, stated that efforts will continue this year to accelerate the establishment of the Giant Panda National Park management system. Plans include steadily advancing the development of an integrated “sky, land, and ground” monitoring network, consolidating smart national park initiatives, and enhancing facilities such as the National Park Natural Museum, Baishuijiang Ecological Experience Center, and Natural Education Base. Additionally, the province aims to expand ecological experience and environmental education activities.