Wild Giant Panda Caught on Video for the First Time in China’s Sichuan Mountains

A panda feeding connected bamboo. Credit: Chen Wu / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

A uncommon sighting of a chaotic elephantine panda has been captured connected video for the archetypal clip successful Dawei Township, a mountainous country nether the medication of Emeishan City successful Sichuan Province of China.

The footage shows a steadfast adult panda moving done dense forest, suggesting the determination could service arsenic a viable earthy situation for the endangered animal.

Researchers from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda confirmed that the carnal is simply a chaotic male, estimated to beryllium astir 10 years old.

Zhang Guiquan, a elder technologist astatine the center, said the panda appears to beryllium successful bully carnal condition, indicating the situation offers capable nutrient and minimal quality interference.

Recently, a chaotic elephantine panda was spotted by infrared cameras successful Sichuan's Jiuding Mountain. #panda pic.twitter.com/trIA1YosAt

— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) October 31, 2025

Remote country shows imaginable for panda conservation

Though Dawei Township is not located wrong a nationalist parkland oregon authoritative quality reserve, the portion is distant and affluent successful bamboo, the panda’s superior nutrient source. The area’s isolation and biodiversity marque it a promising situation for supporting the semipermanent endurance of chaotic panda populations.

Local residents person reported signs of panda enactment successful caller years, including predominant droppings. According to researchers, laboratory investigation of caller samples confirmed the panda was not released from captivity but is portion of the chaotic population.

In effect to the confirmed sighting, section forestry authorities person announced plans to summation patrol efforts and amended extortion measures.

Researchers said they volition grow monitoring operations successful the country arsenic portion of ongoing situation restoration efforts aimed astatine protecting the species.

Wild elephantine panda illustration and habitat

The elephantine panda, known scientifically arsenic Ailuropoda melanoleuca, is autochthonal to China and easy identified by its achromatic and achromatic fur pattern. Adult pandas typically measurement betwixt 100 and 115 kilograms (220 to 254 pounds) and tin turn up to 1.9 meters (6 feet 3 inches) long.

Males are mostly larger than females. The carnal is chiefly herbivorous, feeding astir wholly connected bamboo, and has evolved beardown molars and a thumb-like operation to assistance with grasping and chewing.

Giant pandas unrecorded successful high-altitude forests crossed six upland ranges successful respective Chinese provinces, astatine elevations reaching 3,000 meters (9,800 feet). They are solitary by quality and trust connected scent marking to communicate. Females rise their cubs unsocial for up to 24 months.

The astir caller nationalist panda survey, conducted betwixt 2011 and 2014, estimated the chaotic colonisation to beryllium 1,864 individuals implicit 1.5 years old. Including cubs, the full was placed astatine astir 2,060. The taxon was reclassified arsenic susceptible by the International Union for Conservation of Nature successful 2016, a presumption besides adopted by Chinese officials successful 2021.

Captive populations stay small, with conscionable implicit 260 individuals held successful facilities wrong and extracurricular China. The panda continues to service arsenic a nationalist awesome and taste icon of China.