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GIANT PANDA EXPERIENCE IN CHINA
Join us on the Giant Panda Experience and get to know these wonderful,
fascinating animals at first hand!
You'll be able to observe, understand and get to know
the pandas living at the Panda Sanctuary during your project.
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►SUMMARY
FACTFILE |
| Start
Dates |
All year round, starting weekly.
You choose your start and finish dates. |
|
Duration |
2 weeks & 4 weeks, subject to
visa requirements |
|
Requirements |
Minimum age 17. No qualifications
or knowledge of Mandarin necessary. |
|
Price |
£1,195 (US $1,795)
for 2 weeks, and £2,345 (US $3,520) for 4 weeks
Full Price List and other Currencies |
| What's
included |
►Accommodation
►Food
(Lunch only, Monday-Friday)
►Meeting
you at Chengdu Airport
►Transfer
to your accommodation
►Return
transfer to airport at the end of your project
►Full
pre-departure support
►Local
in-country team support and backup
►24-hr
emergency support. |
|
What's not included |
Flights, Cost of Visas (if a visa is
required, but we'll provide necessary documents and assistance), Insurance |
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Who can do this Project? |
All projects are
open to all nationalities.
Unless otherwise stated, you need to be aged between 17 and 70+ |
PROJECT OVERVIEW
This is a Giant Panda Experience where you'll be able
to observe around 80+ Pandas. It's not a
conservation project, so there won't be any serious conservation work involved
in your duties. Instead, it's an opportunity for you to observe the pandas and
learn about their characteristics, their habits ... and generally to experience
these amazing animals. The Pandas are an endangered species and it's rare to
have the opportunity to see them outside China.
When you arrive at the project, you you'll be taken to your
accommodation, settled in and introduced to everyone that you'll be working
with. After the opportunity to relax and recover from your journey, you'll
receive a full tour of the Panda Base and in-depth training, before getting
stuck in! The work is very light and there are lots of breaks so you need to be
quite easy going and happy to relax during these times. You'll have weekends off
to relax and sightsee with the other volunteers.
WHAT YOU'LL GAIN FROM DOING THIS PROJECT
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An exciting, never-to-be-forgotten adventure into the
Orient and Chinese culture. -
The joy of getting to know
about these beautiful animals. -
More confidence, a greater understanding of a
different culture, invaluable personal and professional development.
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An entry on your CV or résumé that will put you head
and shoulders above most others!
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And best of all ... an unforgettable experience!
WORK
CONTENT
Working hours are
quite short and you certainly won't be overloaded with work, so you'll
have plenty of time to explore the reserve. You'll generally work 5 days
a week, from around 8:30 - 16:30. However, you will not be working
constantly during this period – you will have lots of breaks and the
work is very relaxed. You will usually work in a group of 3 or 4 other
volunteers with a keeper to supervise each group.
As Pandas are wild animals and can attack humans, you
won't have direct, hands-on contact with them or be able to hold or
cuddle them. However, you will be able to feed the Pandas through the
bars of their living quarters (see the photograph on the right of a
Travellers volunteer at work).
Volunteer work deals more with the day-to-day aspects of maintaining the
enclosures and the Centre, rather than research or veterinary based
work. Your primary duties that will make up most of your work day will
usually include the following:
- Cleaning the panda enclosures
- Preparing food for the pandas, such as carrots, apples, panda bread
and nutritional biscuits
- Feeding your assigned pandas
- Observing and getting to understand the pandas
- Weighing and Carrying lots and lots of bamboo... (proper bamboo
consumption is critical to the health of pandas)
Requirements: Although you don't need a
knowledge of Mandarin to do this project, many of the staff don't speak
English, so you should have a fair amount of patience. However, the
staff are very friendly and you'll manage a lot with a broad grin and a
cheerful attitude.
This project would be perfect for anyone who wants to experience the
buzz of city life while working with animals in a beautiful country
environment. You will live in the centre of Chengdu City - the exciting
provincial capital of Sichuan.
Chengdu is an arty, cultured and lively city and you will
never be bored here! Things to explore include many temples and
beautiful parks, a TIbetan Quarter and market, lively bars, restaurants
and clubs and shopping. Chengdu is also the main 'gateway point' in
China for trips to Tibet, which can be arranged easily through your
hostel on arrival.
Every day, you will get the volunteer mini-bus to
your project, a Panda Base located just outside the city. This project
option will allow you to experience the best of both worlds!
This Panda Base is
a non-profit organization engaged in wildlife research, captive
breeding, conservation education, and educational tourism. It was
founded in 1987, with six giant pandas rescued from the wild. Today the
captive population has increased to 83 individuals from that founding
population of only six. Genetic diversity in the population is sustained
by the exchange of preserved genetic material with other facilities. The
bas is very proud that they have not taken any giant pandas from the
wild for 20 years. This demonstrates their unique and uncompromising
commitment to the conservation of the wild ( in situ ) population and
the healthy growth of the captive ( ex situ ) population.
Due to their research and commitment to
animal health and welfare, 124 giant panda cubs have been born to the
Base in 85 litters, 88 survived and now we have 83. To assist other
institutions holding giant pandas the Base provide technical support and
send their experts to assist with care, rearing, and breeding. So that
all giant panda researchers can share their knowledge, they also host
the Giant Panda Annual Technical Meeting, inviting researchers from all
over the world to share information to improve captive management for
the conservation of giant pandas.
The Panda Base covers an area of 106
hectares and will be enlarged to 200 hectares during the third phase of
expansion. Red pandas, golden monkeys and other wild and/or endangered
species live and breed there.
I loved the Research Base. Even though it was gigantic and the walk to
the Moonlight Nursery House where we volunteered was a little long, I
was able to learn an incredible amount of information about the base and
the giant pandas. I also enjoyed getting to know the tour guides. I was
able to get to know two of them very well and I still keep in touch with
them. I was also very happy to have them when I had to volunteer because
they were able help me communicate with the keepers and keep me safe.
The keepers were also very friendly and by my second week I had been
able to get to know them well enough to already know what work was
expected of me with the use of only a few hand signals from them. Lunch
was very delicious at the restaurant on the base and even though the
lunch break was a little long, I usually walked around to explore the
base and observe the pandas. I really loved volunteering at this base.
Chelia Char
National Holidays in
China
All projects will break for Chinese National
Holidays. The main events are:
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Chinese New Year - usually
sometime in late January or early February. All projects will break for
1 or 2 weeks for New Year
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May Holiday – usually the first
week of May. Most projects break for 3-7 days
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October Holiday – usually the
first week of October. Most projects break for 3-7 days
There are also a number of shorter holidays throughout the year
where some projects will be closed. You are very welcome to join a
project during holiday time, however you will not be able to work if
your project is closed.
"I have really enjoyed my time here and will never
forget this experience! Thank you! Also my keeper Lew was fantastic and taught
me a lot!"
Gaelle Cassini
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
OPTIONAL ADD-ONS
  
"The keepers, staff, manager and masters were
all really friendly. I felt very happy and they made me felt at home"
Sandra Collado
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