WWF China - Field Report: Wanglang Panda Nature Reserve

WWF China: "They reveal that most pandas congregate in the lowest of the three valleys in the 32 000-hectare reserve near the gatehouse. This has prompted managers to shut off the area to the visitors who increasingly drive up here during Chinese public holidays in May and October .

The rangers also know whose droppings are whose. Each animal has a distinctive bite, measured by the gap between its molars. Zhou and the other patrollers routinely pick through the green droppings to find bamboo remains and measure how long they are. From that they can map each animal's terrain. "

Eco-tourism:

"Our unique customs, language and costumes are a tourist attraction," he said. "Our women sing and dance for the tourists. We are building guest houses so that they can stay in our villages. We hope for many Chinese visitors, and thanks to WWF we had two foreign groups last year."

Didn't he fear that tourists, even concerned socially and ecologically-minded Western tourists, could damage their culture? Far from it, he said. "Our ways were dying. Eco-tourism has helped to revive our culture." Old people, he said, are dredging their memories for old dances and songs.

Other interesting resource in this field support:
Writer's Journal: Wanglang Diary