It has taken the dedication of many special people to gather the information we need to help save the Giant Panda from extinction. One of those special people, who has gone above and beyond the 'call of the wild' to help giant pandas is Dr. Pan Wenshi. Here are some excerpts from an article written about him by Dr. Martin Williams, "Scientist who fights for the Pandas", July 30, 2008.
'As a biology student at Peking University, Pan encountered the world's first captive-born panda during a visit to the Beijing Zoo. Holding the lively 13-kilogram infant, he was captivated. When he learned how close they were to extinction, he know he had to help these engaging creatures.'
'In 1980, Pan, now a zoology lecturer at Peking University, volunteered for a panda research program conducted by the WWF and the Ministry of Forestry at the Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan province. Fearing the extinction of the panda, the Chinese government had started establishing panda reserves since 1963. But even in these the panda sometimes suffered from poaching. Some conservationists had concluded that the panda would perish unless man came to its rescue through captive breeding programs. Pan soon found himself in disagreement with some of his scientific colleagues.'
'In 1984, Pan left Wolong to conduct his own panda research in the Qin Ling Mountains and later shifted his study to a forest that was managed by a timber unit. Pan and his crew paid team expenses from their own pockets, augmented by small donations from Pan's brother and sister in Hong Kong. He and his colleagues lived on rice and potatoes. Pan missed his wife and two small daughters terribly. Several lean years would pass before Pan's work began to receive recognition and funding grants.'
'Can the panda be saved? Pan believes so. All it takes is bamboo forests and peace and quiet. Threats to the panda's habitat are an ongoing concern. During 1993, timber cutting intensified in Pan's study area. Once more daring to speak out for his beloved pandas, Pan wrote directly to President Jiang Zemin and then-Premier Li Peng, urging that the logging be stopped. Not only was a halt to the timber cutting 
ordered, but in 1997 the Chinese government designated 305 square kilometers of Pan's mountainous domain a panda reserve - making it one of the prime sanctuaries for the giant panda. About 170 of the Qin Ling's 240 pandas are now in protected areas. On the other hand, the Chinese government, in cooperation with WWF, is also implementing a plan to boost protection of the 13 existing panda reserves and to create 14 new ones.' You can read the entire article here, Scientist who fights for giant pandas. [This article first appeared in the February 2000 Chinese edition of Reader's Digest. Reader's Digest holds copyright in the text.]
Because of his willingness to go out into the mountains and study giant pandas in their native habitat he has brought back a tremendous amount of first hand knowledge that is helping us to understand giant pandas better and their needs for survival. It has earned him the nickname "Father of Panda".
You can keep up with Professor Wenshi's current studies, publications,
volunteer activities and photos on his website, Beat of Nature. He has been the recipient of awards and authored and co-authored books,The Giant Pandas of Wolong, Panda Gained, among others that you can find on his website.
He is a shining example of how one person's determination can make a difference in the world. Thank You, Dr. Pan Wenshi.
