Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, also known as Chengdu Panda Base, is one of most important official bases for researching evolution, history, breeding, re-wilding training and other studies on Giant Panda. It is also one of biggest conservation bases for Giant Pandas. After decades’ development, the base has become an international organization combining scientific research, Biology education, tourism, culture.

How many pandas the Chengdu Panda Base has?

So far, there are about 90 pandas living in the base. The amount usually changes because the some pandas may move between bases, or may be sent back to wild after training. Panda Valley in Dujiangyan, about 60km away from Chengdu, is a wild reserve for those panda sent back to mountains.

Chengdu Panda Base has achieved many great progresses on panda breeding. There are newly born panda babies enlarging the family of Giant Panda. Different from those pandas in the wild, the captive pandas have almost lost their instinct to mating. Scientists have to conduct artificial insemination to help the female pandas get pregnant. Great efforts have also been made to train the adult pandas to mate like the wild pandas. Some pandas learnt well, and successfully mated and gave birth, but some panda failed.

History of Chengdu Panda Base

On January 17, 1953, a wild panda was found in Yutang Town, Dujiangyan, and then was rescued to Futoushan Zoo, which started the conservation of Giant Panda in China. Till 1987, Chengdu Government established the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding at the site of Futoushan Zoo with the goal to "be a world-class research facility, conservation education center, and international educational tourism destination." After about 30 years development, the base has become the leading panda scientific research base, also has made a brilliant contribution to enlarge the panda family.

The Chengdu Panda Base has constructed an ideal habitat for Giant Panda which is totally imitated the wild habitat for panda. At the same time, many modern facilities, such as Scientific Research Center, Lab, Panda Hospital, Outdoor fields for panda, Panda Museum, Panda Kitchen, have been built in the base.

Location & how to get the Panda Base

Chengdu Panda Base is located at No. 1375, Xiongmao Dadao, about 10km away from city downtown. There are convenient public buses to from some attractions in Chengdu, such as Wuhou Temple, Dufu Caotang, Kuanzhai Alley, etc. It costs about 50~60 RMB to transfer between downtown and panda base.