The Giant Panda is an endangered animal with an estimated 2,000 pandas living in the wild and over 180 reported to be living in captivity in mainland China. There are about twenty pandas living outside China. Thanks to various conservation programmes, reports show that the numbers of wild panda are on the rise. Giant pandas are an endangered species, threatened by continued habitat loss and by a very low birthrate, both in the wild and in captivity.The population boom in China after 1949 created stress on the pandas' habitat and the subsequent famines led to the increased hunting of wildlife, including pandas. During the Cultural Revolution, all studies and conservation activities on the pandas were stopped. However, in modern times, China has adopted a more progressive approach to internal and international development and allows some growth in ecotourism including the watching of Pandas in the wild.

Watching wild Pandas in China

Until very recently, the realm of the Giant Panda was closed to visitors and only a few selected scientists were permitted the chance to search for this elusive animal. Although the majority of these misty bamboo forests are still strictly off limits, Laoxiancheng Panda Reserve in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi Province has established a fledgling eco-tourism project and begun to welcome a small number of tourists.

In addition, there is also a Panda watching tour in China at Wuyipeng where you can watch wild pandas in the Baiyan area. Since 1978, scientists from all over the world have been coming to the Wuyipeng Shed. This has been used as the base camp for researching panda, watching pandas and collecting data and records from their tagged radio research programme. There are about 14 -16 wild pandas living in the Wuyipeng area, so Wuyi Peng or Wu Yipeng is considered to be the best place to watch or trace wild giant pandas.

Watching Pandas at zoos in captivity on video links and web cams

Panda watching in captivity at Smithsonians National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008. Watch the Giant Pandas Tai Shan, Tian Tian and Mei Xiang the resident Giant Pandas.

Panda watching cams in zoos, panda watching videos of panda activities at the San Diego zoo featuring Su Lin, Mei Sheng, Bai Yun and cub den, Gao Gao, Hua Mei and Shi Shi.

Watch pandas at the Beijing Zoo, China - Watch Giant Pandas presented in their natural environment, usually up a tree.

Watch giant Panda on live video at Animal Discovery

Panda watching and ecotourism

If you read the section on "what is ecotourism", it is very difficult to fit visiting a zoo in your own country as part of true ecotourism. Visiting an overseas zoo as part of your overall cultural and wildlife trip is more acceptable, although watching Pandas in the wild is the most appropriate.

Panda watching