Panda Nursery 2010
Distributed by The Video Project, PO Box 411376, San Francisco, CA 94141-1376; 800-475-2638
Produced by Natural History New Zealand
Director n/a
DVD, color, 50 min.
Sr. High – Adult
Wildlife Conservation, Biology, Science
Date Entered: 01/07/2011
Reviewed by Geetha Yapa, Science Library, University of California, RiversideThe Giant Panda is an endangered animal native to China. It is estimated that there are fewer than one thousand pandas left in the wild. At present they are restricted to six remote mountain areas due to continued loss of habitat, inbreeding and human activity. Wolong Nature Reserve, situated in the mountains of the Sichuan Province, is the largest panda reserve in China. There are 150 pandas in the Reserve and many breeding programs are conducted here in the hope of increasing the panda population in the wild.
Although it is not uncommon for pandas to give birth to twins, they have the habit of nurturing only one cub, resulting in the death of the other. This has led to failures in breeding of panda twins in captivity. Through years of trial and error, scientists at the Wolong Panda Reserve come up with an innovative method to ensure the survival of twin panda cubs. It is a partnership between humans and pandas where both parties share the responsibility of rearing the newborn.
This film documents the first six months in the life of panda twins born on the Reserve, where a rescued wild panda mom and a veterinarian share the burden of swap-raising the twin cubs. The documentary also provides a great deal of information about the biology, behavior, diet and reproductive habits of the giant panda.
Recommended for collections on wildlife conservation and biology.
This video is one of the four part series, On the Brink: Preserving Endangered Species.