A series of seven ecological corridors in China's Giant Panda National Park have greatly enhanced protection for the beloved bears and their habitats since their opening.
Established in 2021, the national park covers 22,000 square kilometers, spanning three provinces in west China: Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu. It now protects a wild population of 1,340 giant pandas.
Previously, human interference broke up their habitats, trapping wild pandas in 33 isolated groups. This left the smaller populations vulnerable to inbreeding and even extinction.
In response, conservationists built seven ecological corridors to connect the mountains, giving pandas a safe way to travel and find mates across different ranges.
Among them, the Niba Mountain corridor in Ya'an, Sichuan, has shown remarkable results. Infrared cameras deployed in the wild there capture footage of giant pandas almost every day.
Ecological corridors reconnect China's giant panda populations
Ecological corridors reconnect China's giant panda populations
