Over the last couple of years, snow leopards have been sighted in Pingwu county – Sichuan province. This confirms that the range of the snow leopard has expanded eastward as this reserve takes shape.
Pingwu supports around 335 Pandas, or around 20% of the Chinese total.
This Giant Panda national park will include 70.25% of known Panda habitat 87.5% of the Pandas currently living in the wild.
Covering over 10,000 square miles, this huge reserve will link 67 current Panda reserves. This will mean that pandas can naturally move around between mountain ranges and therefore their genetic viability is likely to improve.
Golden monkeys have become increasingly endangered as their forest homes are cut down, however, within the huge panda national park, the forests are protected and so the numbers are increasing.
Takin, a bovid related to the musk ox and the goat, are also increasing in number.
Red pandas, are most threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation. As a result, while there is little current data on how this species s doing within this new national park, longterm it can only be good.
This is the sort of project needed across the world. Huge areas conserved as one, allowing species to naturally regenerate. The fact that this is occurring in China, the most heavily populated country in the world is greatly encouraging.