Shaanxi people help preserve pandas

When you think of China's giant pandas, you may think of their homeland in the southwestern province Sichuan. But China's central province of Shaanxi is also another important panda habitat.

Panda Pingping is asking for food. 22 years ago, he was found alone in the wild and rescued by this local villager. His grandson, He Yidong, is now the panda keeper.

He Yidong, panda keeper of Qinling Panda Wild Training Ctr., said,"My dad told me my grandpa saved the panda. He fed him with my milk bottle. Pingping was born in the same year as my younger brother.

Unlike at breeding bases, pandas here are being trained to survive in the wilderness. Especially tree climbing, a life-saving ability.

Pu Zhiyong, staff of Qinling Panda Wild Training Ctr., said,"Here they have more room. They can go to the hills and sleep in the den. Those in pens don't have these conditions."

The vast Qinglin mountain is an important habitat for wild pandas. Some of them have even shown up on roads used by humans. This picture taken by Liu Yidong has gone viral on China's Internet.

"The panda was near that tree. I took out my cellphone and took a picture, at the same time as my dog came along. The dog barked and the panda ran up there. I ran after it and then it slipped in here, into the bamboo forest."

However, the preservation efforts have come at a price. Here in this village, most of the houses are in poor condition and have been locked up.

In 2007, the government moved almost all of the 60 villagers into town, to make room for the wild pandas. This couple is both over 80 years old, too old to leave.

"Our children are all in the town now."

In the mountains, the preservation workers are patroling their designated path, keeping track of any human or animal activities.

They relax after a full day's work, but they have to make their job done with only two hours of electricity.

Liu Xiaobin, head of Shanguanmiao Preservation Stn., said,"The work here is dull, and you feel lonely."

But their hard work has not been in vain.

Since the 1980s, preservation stations like this have saved the lives of over 20 wild pandas.