#wolong

China, 2001 Wolong, Sichuan, China. 中国 四川省 臥龍パンダ保護研究センター Photography by Michitaka Kurata

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty - 03.03.23

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Wolong National Nature Reserve

Today, my first book launches and I am thrilled to be able to share it with you. "Panda Love: The Secret Lives of Pandas” will bring you into the adorable and amazing lives of China’s giant #pandas, as they tumble out of baskets, play hide and seek with their caregivers, explore forests and roam preserves. This book is the fruition of years of work and unprecedented access into the incredible journey being made to release pandas back into their natural habitat. A high note in the world of conservation, #China is on its way to saving its most famous ambassador, and successfully putting the wild back into an icon. You can order a signed copy of this tome of mystery and cuteness today via my website today at bit.ly/AmiVitalePandaLove. Supplies are limited. (Link in profile) And a huge thank you to Papa Panda, Zhang Hemin, the director of all things related to black-and-white-bear breeding and conservation in China. Dedication to giant pandas happens at every level, from the animal keepers who lug truckloads of bamboo to the hungry mother bears at BiFengXia to those who pull on stinky panda costumes day after day at #Wolong to stay “hidden” among the animals in their care. It comes from local biologists who camp out in panda territory where they help prepare semi-wild bears for wildlife, and from caretakers who embrace baby pandas as family, making sure the most fragile cubs don’t just survive but thrive. There are countless others, pandas’ “unsung heroes,” working toward the bears’ wellbeing both in captivity and in the wild. Unable to name them all here, I remain grateful for their many efforts. I’ll also tip my hat in thanks to Gao and Jade Xia, who spent countless patient hours over the years getting me the access I needed to make the images that tell the pandas’ stories. The work to understand this species and its #environment goes back many decades, to field researchers whose efforts early on built the base of knowledge on which today’s breeding and #conservation successes stand. #pandamonium @natgeo @natgeocreative @thephotosociety @nikonusa #sichuan #china #climatechange #conservation #savetheplanet #panda #pandas #babypanda #ipanda #giantpanda

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