24-hour panda channel
One panda hugs another at the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Photo: CFP More photos here >>>
The panda was perched precariously in a y-shaped fork in the tree, reaching down toward the ground. At first it seemed certain the panda would fall, but somehow, despite its girth overshadowing the thin trunk, it made it to the ground smoothly.
The audience was enthralled, but there were far more people watching than a casual observer might have suspected.
The Panda Channel, a joint project between the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding and China Network Television (CNTV), was launched on Tuesday, bringing Web users an insight into the life of this rare mammal.
Reality TV laid bear
A total of 28 HD cameras were installed in five parts of the Chengdu base, and staff at the studio in Chengdu work around the clock, controlling camera angles and sending feeds from 10 out of the 28 cameras for live broadcasts, one of which is selected as an HD feed.
The channel's main website, ipanda.com, features videos of pandas at different ages, from adult pandas to cubs. Staff also provide live text commentary and Web users can comment.
Since its trial launch in June, the website, which features forums and live chat, has attracted over 15,000 viewers from around the world, according to Xinhua.
Zhang Zhihe, director of the Chengdu Panda Base, said that he hopes the channel will raise awareness about the species and environmental protection. "People love pandas and think they are adorable, but other than that, they might not know much about how to protect the animal, or why we should protect them," he said.
He said he hopes that with more interest, people will try to learn more about the species.
Despite having only six pandas when it was founded in the 1980s, the Chengdu base now has over 110.
Zhang said he has wanted to create the panda channel for a long time. He started a "panda global eye" project six years ago but due to technical restraints the feed wasn't as clear.
The cost of the project remains under wraps however. Wang Wenbin, the general manager of CNTV, which is owned by China Central Television (CCTV), said at the launch ceremony Tuesday that it is their responsibility as a national media outlet to promote this "national treasure," however, when asked about the cost of the project, a CNTV spokesperson declined to comment.
Zhang said that the base is not covering any costs, but is offering advice on how to best film the pandas.
Cameras around the world
About a dozen zoos from around the world have panda cams that provide real-time footage of the giant bear, such as the San Diego Zoo, which currently has four giant pandas, and the Edinburgh Zoo, where Yangguang and Tiantian have been living since December 2011. But most of the footage from these panda cams is grainy.
Panda International, a non-profit organization in the US dedicated to the protection of the giant panda, has donated cameras to the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), based in Wolong, Sichuan Province.
The cameras are positioned in the center's base in Bifengxia, Ya'an. Since February last year, live feeds from the cameras have been broadcast on explore.org, a Los Angeles-based philanthropic organization. It only provides live feeds for about eight hours a day and shows clips and highlights while the pandas are sleeping.
Many Web users commenting on explorer.org seem to hold a special place in their hearts for Taishan, aka Butterstick, who was born at the National Zoo in Washington DC, on July 9, 2005, as a result of artificial insemination. The bear returned to Ya'an in February 2010.
Taishan is a celebrity in the panda world. For its public debut on December 8, 2005, the National Zoo issued 13,000 free tickets, which were gone within two hours. It was reported that some of the tickets fetched up to $500 online.
Cash and conservation
The image of the giant panda is closely associated with China, and gift pandas have long been used as a tool in diplomatic relations. But China announced in 2007 that it would stop giving them away overseas as gifts.
Other countries can borrow a giant panda for 10 years at up to $1 million a year, and the authorities say this is to improve research and conservation efforts. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora in 1996, of which China is a signatory, has prohibited "commercial loaning."
Over 30 giant pandas are now living overseas.
However, many conservations still warn of commercialism in the trade of giant pandas. When Edinburgh zoo was trying to borrow two giant pandas from China, it was met with strong opposition from some animal welfare activities who criticized the deal.
Fan Zhiyong, director of WWF species program in China, said that it's understandable that zoos from around the world want to catch people's attention using pandas, but the extent to which the live broadcast and the attention will benefit conservation remains uncertain.
The top priority for conservationists, Fan says, is to protect wildlife living in the wild. China still has a certain number of giant pandas in the wild in certain habitat, and said that preserving these animals in these areas should be the focus.
According to the third panda census done over a decade ago, there are about 1,600 pandas in the wild. The latest census, started in 2010, is still underway.
Fan estimates that the overall population of pandas in the wild might be growing slowly but in certain areas they may be facing difficult situations.
In order to save the species from extinction, scientists have been breeding giant pandas in captivity. So far, breeding efforts have had major progress, with over 300 giant pandas in captivity. The ultimate goal is to re-introduce these bears into the wild, an endeavor that hasn't had much success thus far.
Panda conservation experts have long warned that the fragmentation of habitat due to road construction and urbanization is the most pressing threat to the species, a problem that experts say is not being fully addressed by the authorities.
"People should realize that pandas may not behave the same way in the wild and that the situation in the wild may not be as nice as in a zoo," said Fan.
Related News:
Staying cool
China launches 'Giant Panda Channel'
China launches live panda broadcasts online
Live 24-hour giant panda channel a hit online
1,600 panda sculptures mark WWF 50th anniversary in Germany
Giant panda and its cub, how sweet
Taipei Zoo seeks public help to name baby panda
Giant panda cub celebrates 1st birthday at San Diego Zoo, California, US
Panda's twin delight
Panda cub born in Taipei Zoo