National treasure

Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries (四川大熊猫保护基地), home to more than 30 percent of the world's highly endangered pandas, covers 924,500 hectares with seven nature reserves and nine scenic parks in the Qionglai and Jiajin Mountains, between the Chengdu Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The sanctuaries constitute the largest remaining contiguous habitat of the giant panda, which is recognized as a “national treasure” of China and is a flagship for global conservation efforts. This species is a relict from the paleo-tropic forests of the Tertiary Era. The giant panda feeds almost exclusively on bamboo in the wild and its preferred habitat is between 2,200m to 3,200m.As a unique single species and family the giant panda is very important for studying mammal classification and evolution. Within the sanctuaries, the main centers of giant panda population are in the Wolong Reserve in the northeast; Fengtongzhai Reserve in the southeast; and in Jiajin Mountain Provincial Park to the southwest. There is also the species' most important site for captive breeding.The sanctuaries are also home to other globally endangered animals such as the red panda, the snow leopard and clouded leopard. There are 542 species of vertebrates, including 109 species of mammals in 25 families (more than 20 percent of all Chinese mammals).The regions are among…