Unfortunately, climatic changes, urbanization and poachers showed no mercy even for these cutest animals, and the number of pandas living in the wild had been diminishing for many years. It was only in 2017 that the zoologists were relieved to declare that pandas were no longer under the threat of extinction.

Which city, then, has played such a crucial role in their preservation that it is still heralded as the Panda Capital of China? Why, of course it was Chengdu!

Out of approximately 1800 pandas registered in China according to 2019 census, 170 were born in Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, and another 100 are still living there.

Moreover, it was in Chengdu that the first successful artificial insemination among pandas was carried out.

The insides of the Research Base are so spacious and so close to the natural habitat that even the pandas themselves are difficult to spot at once. And its staff even wears panda suits to approach the animals without disturbing them.