Chengdu, Oct. 21, 2023. / Kabar/. After the awarding ceremony of the Silk Road Global News Awards, winners and finalists of the international competition from around the world had the opportunity to get acquainted with the economic and social development of China by visiting different provinces.
The world journalists first visited the southwest of China, the Sichuan Province - the hometown of giant pandas, where almost all of them saw the pandas for the first time.
Giant pandas are both China’s national treasures and symbols of wildlife conservation.
Despite the fact that the panda was first mentioned in China more than 3,000 years ago, the Western science world learned of the existence of this animal only in 1869, when the French missionary, zoologist and naturalist Armand David, described it to Western world. Unfortunately, this discovery had detrimental consequences for the panda - hunters for rare trophies and wildlife traders immediately rushed into the forests of China. They began to be caught alive and taken out of China for zoos, and up to 200 thousand dollars were paid for the black and white skin of a panda, which also served as the reason for its extermination.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies giant pandas as a vulnerable species. Until 2017, they were in danger of extinction due to the reduction of their natural habitat and low birth rates. Scientists estimate that there are about 2,060 individuals left in the wild.
The giant panda is the symbol of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
China is implementing a large-scale program to restore the numbers of this mammal species. In Chengdu, in the central part of China, there is a research center for their breeding.
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding was founded in 1987 by the Chengdu Municipal People's Government. It started with 6 giant pandas that were rescued from the wild. Currently 137 pandas live there. In 2009, it was possible to obtain the first offspring using artificial insemination.
The diet of the giant panda is dominated by bamboo. An adult panda eats up to 30 kg of bamboo and shoots per day. The pandas of the base are picky.
The living conditions for pandas in the base are excellent. According to local residents, who see pandas more often than foreign tourists, pandas either chew bamboo all the time or sleep. These are the most charming creatures on the Earth, amazingly emotional, sweet and gentle.
Rogers Sabana, from Kenya, a chief graphic designer at CGTN, also saw the pandas for the first time. He was impressed by the appearance of pandas.
“What struck me and impressed was the beauty, black and white appearance and also the very gentle nature despite they expected to be very aggressive. They seem to be very friendly and also the fact that they almost all the time eating and resting. I think it’s really amazing job what China is trying to do to conserve such kind of unique wild life and giving us the opportunity to enjoy and see them in their own elements despite being in a zoo. But it’s a really impressive and very beautiful experience for me to see such a majestic creature,” he said.
The panda is one of the cutest animals in the world, and for China it is also a national treasure. Respect for pandas’ dates back to ancient times. Then these cute bears inhabited 30% of China: from provinces in the south (Fujian) to northern areas (Henan). To understand why the panda became a sacred animal in China, you need to know what qualities are valuable to this people. Panda is mostly a non-aggressive herbivore with a kind character. The black and white playful animal is very friendly and has high intelligence, which is not inherent in all animals. Black and white fur color is a symbol of Yin and Yang, these are concepts that constantly complement each other.
Giant pandas are considered one of the symbols of China. In the past, the Chinese government gave pandas to various countries as a sign of friendship and good intentions. So, in 1949, China donated 23 pandas to nine countries. In 1982, when this species became endangered, they decided to stop this practice.
In 1985, the Chinese authorities declared giant pandas a national treasure. After this, it was decided not to give the animals as a gift, but to transfer them for a while (usually for 15 years) to stay in a foreign country. At the same time, the agreements separately stipulate that China retains the rights to panda cubs born in captivity abroad.
Nurzhan Kasmalieva
Kabar News Agency
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