Chinese conservation program uses ‘panda diplomacy’ to raise awareness

Pandas

On Tuesday, Washington, D.C. will say goodbye to one of its most-beloved ambassadors, Bao Bao.

The U.S. Smithsonian National Zoo’s three year-old female giant panda is heading back to China.

But what exactly can Bao Bao expect upon her arrival?

CGTN’s Nathan King reports from the world famous Chengdu Research Base.

This global program, often dubbed ‘panda diplomacy’, has helped remove the giant panda from the endangered species list.

Pandas from the base have been dispatched to zoos all around the world to breed, spark research and raise awareness of the plight of the giant panda in the wild.

Panda cubs born outside of China are returned to participate in breeding programs . But when they return, some have developed a few very foreign characteristics, from eating habits to speaking patterns.

All panda meals at the Chengdu Research Base are home-cooked, with the bamboo specially grown.

Also, the climate in Sichuan is perfect for pandas, no matter where they were born.


Marc Brody on Panda diplomacy

For more on Panda diplomacy, CGTN’s Asieh Namdar spoke to Marc Brody, president of Panda Mountain and U.S.-China Environmental Fund.