Rangers dedicate lives to pandas they may never see

Based on research findings, Fu said that since 2018, local authorities have been clearing tangled vines and undergrowth to create space for selected trees to grow. After replanting native broadleaf saplings, they carry out three years of tending to ensure the trees mature and provide adequate shelter, ultimately achieving a balanced ratio with bamboo and shrubs.

Some 467 hectares of habitat have been restored in the Daxiangling mountain range using this method.

Alongside habitat restoration, researchers have been deploying intelligent systems to aid wildlife surveillance, obtaining more accurate and efficient data to inform conservation efforts.

Fu said the system in Yingjing features hundreds of infrared cameras capable of capturing and analyzing traces of wild animals, covering 90 percent of the target areas.

"The system is powered by data from more than 480 real-time transmission infrared cameras, 200 traditional surveillance cameras, and hydrological and meteorological instruments that track temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall and other environmental variables," she said.

"The system has significantly boosted the efficiency of our monitoring work and provides more comprehensive and accurate data on wildlife activity in the region, helping us develop more scientific approaches to ecological protection," she added.

The Baishuijiang section of the national park, located in Longnan city of Gansu province, is equipped with 1,500 infrared cameras, 600 of which are capable of real-time image transmission, according to Kang Yonggang, a local park employee.

"It is estimated that hundreds of videos documenting giant panda movements are recorded each year. Sometimes, at one location, five different giant pandas are captured within a single month," he said.

"The most valuable footage for us is probably images of panda parents strolling with cubs, because it suggests that they are breeding and that the population is stable or even growing," he added.

According to survey data, the panda population in Baishuijiang dropped sharply from 301 in 1974 to 155 in 1984, largely due to large-scale bamboo flowering that caused food shortages. In recent years, the number has remained stable at around 110.

"The comprehensive surveillance system also enables us to monitor climate and ecological conditions in real time," Kang said. "For instance, if bamboo flowering is detected, we will deliver supplemental food to the pandas and plant bamboo species with different flowering cycles at the same elevations to ensure a steady food supply year-round."

Kang said giant pandas are highly protective of their space. "We don't want them showing up near villagers' homes, because that would mean humans are probably encroaching on wildlife habitat. And we certainly don't want any human activities disturbing their normal lives," he said.

"If we do encounter them during patrols in the future, we will keep our distance, quietly observe their condition, and then leave them in peace."

wangxiaoyu@chinadaily.com.cn