A new giant panda habitat was uncovered in a remote section of a nature reserve in Southwest China's Sichuan Province thanks to a tiny panda cub.
Three researchers made the discovery during a survey of the Wolong National Nature Reserve on Monday. The team had stopped to rest under a tree when they noticed a cub sitting in its branches.
"It didn't notice us at all," said Zhang Tao, who videoed what appears to be a 7-month-old cub. "It found another cozy spot in the tree to take a nap."
The habitat was discovered in the reserve's Zhadaokou area - an area that was excluded in a previous giant panda survey due to accessibility.
Researchers had also found more evidence of a panda population, such as feces, that indicate successful conservation efforts in the Wolong reserve.
"The reserve was severely damaged in the 2008 earthquake," explained an expert from Sichuan Forestry Department. "More such encounters indicate that local habitats are improving."A new giant panda habitat was uncovered in a remote section of a nature reserve in Southwest China's Sichuan Province thanks to a tiny panda cub.
