Leeuwarden, 30 March 2005 - Protection of one of the most endangered species in the world, the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca): that’s the main goal of a new cooperation between the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (WRC), the Van Hall Institute and Noldus Information Technology.

The WRC is a non-profit institution that has been working together with a number of international researchers for a number of years in its strive to protect and safeguard the long term survival of the Giant Panda. Its mission is not only conservation, but also research and education focusing on the Giant Panda by providing a naturalistic location for long term study. The WRC is located in Wolong, Sichuan, the province in China where most Giant Pandas live. The researchers will use The Observer Mobile to observe and analyze the behavior of the Giant Panda, both in the research centre as well as after re-introduction in its natural habitat. This way the researchers can increase their knowledge about the Giant Pandas' behavior, which will contribute to the success of breeding and re-introduction programs. 

 

The Van Hall Institute (VHI), located in Leewarden, The Netherlands, provides higher education and research in Animal Management, Environmental Sciences, Food Technology and Agriculture. As a part of its Animal Management and Wildlife courses, it has been working together with the Sichuan Agricultural University for a number of years already. As a part of this cooperation, they have set up a wildlife management course. Students of both institutes will use The Observer for studying the behavior of the Giant Panda, which will contribute to the success of this species’ conservation. 

During an intensive training course in Leeuwarden on 30 March, researchers from the VHI and the WRC worked together with a trainer from Noldus in order to set up The Observer for their research. Noldus Information Technology wishes them all the best with their endeavors.