The hard, arduous task of picking up the pieces and creating a future for all involved in the wake of the earthquake has begun. One of the two missing adult pandas, Xi Xi, from the Wolong Center was discovered nearby over the weekend and has been successfully rescued and brought back to the center. Xi Xi was seen alongside the Pitiao River that runs through the Wolong Reserve by road workers, trying to repair the damage from the landslides. This was reported on the China View website
Here is a photo taken years ago of the Wolong Center with the Pitiao River running along side it.
The Giant Pandas all reacted as any of us would during a crisis. As reported on by Xinhua writer, Gong Yidong today, panda keeper Gao Qiang still shivers when recollecting how the pandas survived the quake. "Before we realized what was going on, a whole mountain had collapsed and rumbled, like a cyclone of huge rocks. The pandas were roaring with horror I never heard before." Instinctively, the adult pandas scattered everywhere, climbing trees or other areas they felt would be safer. Because of their massive sizes, if the adults were too upset to be coaxed back to the center, they were anesthesized and carried back in cages.
Two pandas were injured and I have not seen or heard of their condition as of yet. Six other adults were missing right after the earthquake, four returned on their own, Xi Xi was just found, leaving still one missing. Mua Mua is the name of the adult still missing.
The conditions in Wolong only have gotten worse with the still recurring after shocks. So they are considering moving more pandas to other safe habitats. 14 of the 32 panda shelters were destroyed. Keepers tried desperately to comb the mountainside to gather bamboo for the pandas despite the risk of landslides or mudslides. The Centers food reserves which is mostly comprised of fresh bamboo gathered daily, lasted only two days, and so the pandas were living on rice porridge for days. State Forestry Administration is helping with emergency shipments of bamboo and other food.
