Xi’an, China – WWF's China Programme and the Chinese Forestry Department of Shaanxi Province have launched a programme to build up an ecological corridor to reunite two isolated panda populations.

A bamboo forest will be restored with the help of WWF volunteers to create a green corridor for giant panda sub-populations that were fragmented by a national highway.

The two Tianhuashan and Xinglongling panda sub-populations in the Qinling Mountains were separated 23 years ago by the construction of National Road 108. But in 1999, the completion of a tunnel led to the abandonment of a 13km section of the highway, and has created the possibility of reconnecting the fragmented habitats of the giant pandas in Mount Tianhuashan, where there are approximately 20, and Mount Xinglongling, where there are about 110.

In 2000, the area along the abandoned road was listed by the province as one of the key ecological corridors for giant pandas in Qinling. It was put under the State's protection in 2002, and at the same time Guanyinshan reserve was established. In 2005, WWF made a socio-economic survey and worked out the threats to giant pandas in the area. Later that year, the global conservation organization cooperated with the Guanyinshan Nature Reserve to begin restoring the giant panda habitat.

'The project is an active and valuable attempt by WWF and our partners to connect the fragmented habitats in the Qinling Mountains,' said Dermot O'Gorman, WWF China acting country representative.

'We hope the green bamboo corridor can connect the panda populations separated by the highway, free the animal from human and traffic disturbance, and bring new hope to the conservation of wild giant pandas in Qinling.'

The WWF project seeks to restore the bamboo forest, strengthen management and support sustainable community development in the corridor area. About 87ha of bamboo forest is being planted above the tunnel, to provide an opportunity for the Tianhuashan and Xinglongling giant panda sub-populations to reunite.

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• The Guanyinshan Nature Reserve was established by the Shaanxi Government in 2002 to protect the giant panda and the forest ecosystem. It covers 13,534ha of the southern slope of the Qinling Mountains and adjoins three other nature reserves: Zhouzhi; Foping; and Tianhuashan. The reserve is home to the giant panda, golden monkey and golden takin. It is also the link between the two largest Qinling giant panda sub-populations: the Xinglongling and Tianhuashan sub-populations. The giant panda sub-populations were reconnected after the Qinling tunnel was built, making this reserve the only place in the Qinling Mountains where the giant panda habitat is not fragmented by roads.

• Since its establishment, the Guanyinshan Nature Reserve has been working on protecting the Qinling giant panda. In recent years, the reserve has been cooperating with WWF on reserve management, habitat restoration, capacity building, promotion, and monitoring and patrolling. Through their joint efforts, there has been an increase in the available wildlife habitat and the giant pandas have expanded their territories.

For further information:

Lei Tao, Communication Coordinator
WWF China Xi’an Programme Office
Tel: +86 29 878186020
E-mail: tlei@wwfchina.org

Caroline Liou, Deputy Communications Manager, WWF China
Tel: +86 1370 120 4254
E-mail: caroline@wwfchina.org