7 Reasons to Celebrate! (tradition)

[Bishka]

1. The four-year survey that was completed in 2004, counted 1,600 pandas in the wild, 40% more than were thought to exist based on the last survey in 1985, which recorded around 1100.

2.There are now over 50 nature reserves in the panda habitat compared to 13 just two decades ago, protecting more than 10,400km2 and over half of remaining giant panda habitat. This includes over 500,000 hectares of new and expanded nature reserves in the Minshan Mountains and eight new nature reserves and five green corridors have been created in the Qinling Mountains.

3. WWF's work with Carrefour, a European food retailer, has helped to provide a good market for locally grown produce such as pepper, walnuts and honey and has provided local people with alternative sustainable livelihoods, and reduced the number of people poaching or harvesting for traditional Chinese medicine in the nature reserves.

4. By the end of June 2006, WWF had provided 431 energy saving systems to people living around the nature reserves in the panda habitat. This includes 269 biogas and 162 fuel-wood saving stoves. The stoves save local people time and energy and reduce the amount of fuel-wood harvested from the forests.

5. Improved systems to monitor and patrol the nature reserves has reduced illegal logging and poaching inside the reserves thanks to training, increased staff and improved equipment.

6. Ecotourism is actively being promoted and is providing local people with an alternative sustainable livelihood and reducing the ecological footprint of tourists.

7. Two hundred hectares of bamboo were planted when a new corridor area was created after National Highway 108 was rerouted by tunnel. The road runs through the Qinling Mountains andbefore the tunnel, it separated the two largest regional populations of pandas.

Panda Conservation Success

[ayani]

hurrah!

has Buttons seen this? thank you, Beck. it's always a pleasure to get some good news!

[Feathers in Hair]

That's wonderful news! Thank you!