RapportFondation_2026_V03 Pages LIGHT EN - Flipbook - Page 60
Supporting scienti昀椀c research
2025 REPORT
CHINA
EUROPE
Helping Giant pandas
secure their future
AMOUNT COMMITED TO DATE: € 240.000
2014 > PRESENT
Once widespread across southern and eastern China, the Giant panda is now confined to a number of isolated
forest regions spread across six mountain ranges in south-west China. Human activity and habitat loss have pushed
the species to the brink, with only 1,864 Giant pandas remaining in the wild today.
Achieving breeding success in Giant pandas is notoriously challenging. Females are fertile for only a few days each
year, while phenomena such as embryonic diapause, where embryo development temporarily pauses, and frequent
foetal loss further complicate reproduction. Many of the biological mechanisms involved are still not fully understood.
To help safeguard the species, zoological institutions and researchers around the world are working together on
breeding programmes designed to improve reproductive success while preserving genetic diversity.
Between 2018 and 2021, the Pairi Daiza Foundation funded a research project led by Dr. Jella Wauters. The
study focused on developing reliable pregnancy tests, gaining a better understanding of the signals regulating
embryonic diapause, and improving the prediction of fertile periods in Giant pandas. The research involved
collecting biological samples and closely monitoring panda behaviour.
China has led an international Giant panda conservation programme for more than 30 years. Through initiatives
such as specialised breeding centres, habitat restoration, protected reserves and ecological corridors, the wild
Giant panda population has increased from around 1,200 individuals in the 1980s to more than 1,800 today.
Continued efforts remain essential.
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