YA’AN -- Efforts to restore habitats in the Giant Panda National Park in southwest China's Sichuan Province have led to a notable increase in the population of giant pandas and other wildlife.

In the Yingjing County section of the park, a demonstration area for restoring cold-tolerant arrow bamboo habitat is situated at an elevation of about 2,400 meters. The area is now covered with bamboo forests and broadleaf woodlands, with pathways winding through the bamboo stands.
Yingjing County had previously undergone large-scale deforestation. Although reforestation efforts were made after the logging, the trees in the planted forests and secondary woodlands became overgrown with shrubs and vines. It led to a scattered and poor growth of the giant pandas' main food source, the cold-tolerant arrow bamboo, reducing the suitability of the habitat. In response, the park authorities started a restoration project to enhance the ecological layout in the area.
Over the past years, the project has rehabilitated more than 400 hectares of panda habitat and replanted more than 100,000 trees. The initiative has improved conditions for panda movement and interaction, while also supporting the migration and survival of other wildlife.
In addition to pandas, infrared cameras have recorded an increasing diversity of wildlife in the area, including takin, tufted deer, red pandas and black bears.
The Giant Panda National Park spans 22,000 square kilometers and stretches across three provinces - Sichuan and the neighboring provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu. It's home to more than 70 percent of the country's wild pandas and over 8,000 rare wild fauna and flora species.