Panda UPDATE 6/11/08
Wild Spots Foundation has accepted an invitation to bring volunteers to the Sichuan area of China
that was hit hard by the recent earthquakes.
September 20-30 we will deliver aid to the local panda preserves, their staff members and the Giant Pandas.
The Wolong Panda Preserve was only 18 miles from the epicenter of the recent earthquake. All of the roads providing access to the reserve are destroyed, making the reserve inaccessible, except by a few hazardous dirt paths. It has been virtually impossible to get supplies into the area. Local bamboo food supplies have also ceased, as the people attempt to deal with their personal loses.
Dr. Barry W. Barker, President of Wild Spots Foundation, received news that five Wolong staff members were killed in the quake, several pandas were missing, and the facilities suffered major damage. Names were not available, but they were reportedly staff members who help with the foreign volunteers who fed and cleaned the pandas. In addition, two pandas are still missing and nearly all of the Wolong panda enclosures were destroyed or suffered major damage.
According to Barker the devastation was worst than initially reported. “Our contacts in Chengdu report catastrophic infrastructure damage to the internationally known Wolong Panda Preserve: panda enclosures, animal hospitals/clinics, tourist hotels and bridges are all damaged or destroyed. Food and medical supplies are desperately needed. It is also reported that the baby pandas are learning to eat congee because of the food shortage.
“Some of the Wolong Pandas have been moved to Beijing for the Olympics, while others have been relocated to a smaller preserve near Chengdu, known as Ya’an. Wild Spots Foundation will be sending volunteers to both Chengdu and Ya’an,” Barker added.
Wild Spots volunteers will depart for Chengdu on September 20, and travel to the Panda Garden in Bifengaxia, Ya'an.
Over the next few days, all volunteers will assist with the care of pandas. Accommodations will be provided in Shangli,
a village approximately 18 miles away, as there are no accommodations at Panda Garden. The group will then return to
Chengdu, where they will have an opportunity to spend time at the Chengdu Panda Reproductive Center before returning to the United States.
Wild Spots Foundation, www.wildspotsfoundation.org, has supported trips to the Wolong Panda Reserve and the
Chengdu Reproductive Center for several years, and is dedicated to raising awareness of the panda relief effort
through education and photographic documentation. Volunteers of all experience backgrounds, skill levels, and
age groups are invited to join this group.
Anyone interested in participating on this journey to help save this species of
Giant Pandas can contact Dr. Barry Barker at 954-816-1974.
Panda above by Joe LaFauci; Pandas at top of page by Tom Isgar
May News Reports
Richard Chin, our WSF representative in Chengdu sadly reported 5/20/08 that five Wolong staff
members were killed in the quake. Names were not available, but they were reportedly staff members who
help with the foreign volunteers who fed and cleaned the pandas. In addition, three pandas are
missing and nearly half of the Wolong panda enclosures were destroyed.
The Telegraph.co.uk reported that Hundreds (note: actually there are fewer than 100 there) of giant
pandas had to be rescued as the Chinese earthquake devastated the Wolong nature reserve.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1988014/China-earthquake-pandas-rescued.html
Christine Dell’Amore from the National Geographic reported that in the minutes before a massive
earthquake shook central China on Monday, captive pandas near the epicenter began acting strangely,
according to an eyewitness account released 5/21.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/05/080515-pandas-quake.html
Urgent note: we will begin photographing the devastation
and the reconstruction as soon as permission is received... probably at the end of Sept or beginning of October.
The fall trip will be to Chengdu and the Chengdu Panda Reproductive Center. We need volunteers to photograph and write.
DONATE via WSF to Help the Wolong Pandas
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Wild Spots Foundation
works toward preserving
endangered and threatened species through science, education, technology, and the visual arts.
A 501(c)3 non-profit foundation, Wild Spots was formally organized in
March of 2002 by Dr. Barry Barker & a small group of like-minded individuals who have
been traveling together since 1985.
Our projects range from documenting species in a variety of
ecosystems around the world, to assessing ecotourism venues for developing countries,
to researching DNA from a specific Andean Puma in the cloud forest of Ecuador, to
exhibiting the inspired & inspiring nature
photography of our expedition & workshop participants.
Read the
Wild Spots Foundation Mission Statement.
