Sichuan Daily: Deyang Park photographed for the first time giant pandas’ marking behavior

As the patrol personnel of Deyang Park (hereinafter referred to as “Deyang Park”) of the Sichuan Giant Panda National Park was sorting out the infrared camera data recently, he has located a sub adult giant panda marking on the tree. This is the first time that Deyang has photographed the “marking behavior” of giant pandas since the establishment of the pilot system of the Giant Panda National Park in 2016. It is also the first appearance of the giant panda population in Jiuding Mountain, Deyang since the official establishment of Giant Panda National Park on October 12th.

Giant pandas have “checked Deyang out” for three consecutive years, and Deyang has photographed their “marking behavior” for the first time. Zhao Weihong, deputy branch director of Deyang Management Bureau of the Giant Panda National Park, said that Deyang Park covers a total area of 595 square kilometers, and the park’s rich habitat types such as rivers, caves and bare rocks have created the floral diversity and provided food bases and habitat surroundings for the fauna. According to the fourth national survey of giant pandas, there are 5 giant pandas in Deyang Park. Although the absolute number is small, they have “checked Deyang out” in front of the infrared camera for three consecutive years. Earlier this year, a mother giant panda has also shown up with her cubs. In addition to wild giant pandas, many rare wild animals have been active in Deyang Park recently. In the first field survey of biodiversity in Deyang Park that was launched in October this year, three pheasant species including Tetraogallus tibetanus, Perdix hodgsoniae and Lerwa lerwa were newly discovered. Thus, 12 pheasant species have been recorded in Deyang park so far.

Restoring the ecological environment internally and launching a protection alliance externally. Wild giant pandas have been photographed for three consecutive years, indicating that the habitat ecological environment in Deyang Park is good and the living conditions of giant panda families are stable. This is also a huge relief for relevant experts, scholars and staff: Previously, there had been no giant panda cubs in Deyang Park for about 20 years. It lies in multiple reasons, including the destruction of giant panda habitat by natural disasters such as earthquake and debris flow, as well as the impact of human activities. It is reported that 3 / 4 of the local families were engaged in mining, transportation and other related industries at one time, which have produced noise on the one hand and destroyed the vegetation on the other hand, casting a great impact on the natural environment and the survival of wild animals and plants. Deyang has taken a series of measures to restore 10000 hectares of ecology since 2017. 10.38 hectares of vulnerable vegetation in the mining area were fixed. The original habitat for giant pandas is gradually restored and a Jiudingshan Protection Alliance for the small population of giant pandas which was initiated by Deyang has promoted the scientific protection and development of the small population of giant pandas, focusing on the maintenance of the integrity of the giant panda gene bank and stimulating the scientific monitoring, habitat restoration, corridor construction, participation in protection and development by the surrounding communities and public for the small population of giant pandas.

Contact: Zhang Peng
Tel.: 008628-86968621
Email: [email protected]