Kohl rimmed eyes, an inky nose and circular black ears stand stark upon the cutest of fluffy white faces. And, despite their propensity to weigh up to a bulky 23kg, they really are much like a living, breathing cuddly toy. Yes, we’re talking pandas. They’ve been the world-renowned face of WWF since its beginnings in 1961 and were cleverly used as a loveable mascot for the Beijing Olympics. So basically, it’s safe to say that pandas are a sure fire way of getting people on board with a cause. One look at those fuzzy faces and you can’t help but be sold. Come on though, quite seriously: did you ever see anything so adorable?
If pandas are what you’re after, then it’s pandas that you’ll get at Chengdu’s Panda Base. Founded in 1987 – when it housed just six giant pandas – this conservation centre now houses around 20 times its original number of giant pandas and nearly 80 of their red counterparts, making it one of the largest panda reserves in the world. And as a non-profit research and breeding facility, a trip here is the best way to view China’s most endearing residents without visiting the suffocating confines of a zoo. Because really, it’s the 21st century, zoos just aren’t cool anymore.
Free to roam over 600 acres of parkland that imitate their natural habitat, these pandas get to live out their lives in a novelty-free zone, whilst being sheltered from the threats that come alongside surviving in the wild. With fewer than 2,000 pandas now left in the world, they’re classified as a vulnerable species, meaning that it’s more important than ever to do all that we can to protect them. But more than just protecting the pandas already here, Chengdu’s Panda Base is also home to an artificial insemination breeding centre with the hopes of upping the species numbers.
So, from priming the public to their greatness and protecting them from habitat destruction to some good ol’ fashioned procreation planning, the Panda Base have got one thing on the brain. And we think that you can guess what it is. Yep, pandas really are at the heart and soul of everything done here – which is precisely why we’re such big fans. But really, who isn’t a fan of baby pandas?