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[created on 05/08/2008]
What happened?
On 12 May 2008 an earthquake magnitude 8 struck China, resulting in the most destructive earthquake in the country since 1949.
More than 80,000 people lost their lives in the quake, and 7.8 million houses collapsed, with another 24.6 million damaged. Over 46 million people from 417 counties were affected by the quake. The worst affected area was Sichuan Province the site of the epicentre, as well as Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, all areas where WWF has worked with local partners on panda conservation and community development. This includes the 21 panda nature reserves located on the 300 km long seismic belt across Qionglai, Minshan and Qinling Mountain landscape.
A WWF staff member sent this account of events:
"Suddenly, the phone went dead and the office cabinets began to shake. Everyone began to feel dizzy and sick.
"Staff ran from the building, from the 25th floor, down the stair well with tiles falling from the walls and extremely loud noise.
"Everyone was terrified that they might be buried alive inside the building. There was a crowd of frightened people all trying to escape and when they finally made it to safety, they were confronted by other frightened survivors."
WWF's Xi'an office immediately began to source emergency supplies and to offer relief and support to the community.
In the weeks that followed, thousands and thousands of aftershocks occurred, ranging in force from four to five. The priority for Xi'an staff was to find out as much as they could about damage to the Qinling giant panda habitat.
They knew that damage to the nature reserves would be devastating – but it was very hard to get information.
83 per cent of China's panda habitat affected by earthquake
WWF has over 30 working partnerships in the Qinling region. Forty nine panda reserves were affected by the quake, covering an extensive area of 1.9 million hectares, or 83 per cent of the total panda habitat which is home to about 1,400 wild pandas. In panda breeding and research centres, infrastructure was damaged or destroyed. One panda, Mao Mao died at Wolong Nature Reserve and one was unaccounted for.
Bamboo trip to Wolong panda reserve
In Minshan, at Wolong panda base, the news was just as devastating. A landslide had buried a large area of bamboo forest, leaving nearly 70 giant pandas short of food. As many pandas as possible were transferred out to safety but getting food to the remaining pandas was a challenge. Bamboo was sourced from Baoxing county - 12 hours away. Sympathetic farmers sold their bamboo as cheaply as possible in order to help the pandas.
The bamboo had to be fresh, so it was transported in four tonne batches every few days.
It was a perilous trip through mountains over 4,500 metres high, negotiating traffic jams caused by landslides to reach the hungry pandas. The efforts were worth it, with staff at the centre reporting their happiness.
"When you see the pandas enjoying eating bamboo, you smile from the bottom of your heart. Who knows how many people do so much, silently for this national treasure?"
WWF supporters gave generously
When WWF appealed for help in June 2008, 3,500 WWF supporters donated $260,000 to assist WWF's panda reconstruction work in China. WWF-Australia applied to AusAID, the Australian Government's overseas aid program, for matching funding - up to an additional $3 for every $1 donated.
Update: WWF post disaster reconstruction strategy initiated
[created on 05/08/2008]
What happened?
On 12 May 2008 an earthquake magnitude 8 struck China, resulting in the most destructive earthquake in the country since 1949.
More than 80,000 people lost their lives in the quake, and 7.8 million houses collapsed, with another 24.6 million damaged. Over 46 million people from 417 counties were affected by the quake. The worst affected area was Sichuan Province the site of the epicentre, as well as Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, all areas where WWF has worked with local partners on panda conservation and community development. This includes the 21 panda nature reserves located on the 300 km long seismic belt across Qionglai, Minshan and Qinling Mountain landscape.
A WWF staff member sent this account of events:
"Suddenly, the phone went dead and the office cabinets began to shake. Everyone began to feel dizzy and sick.
"Staff ran from the building, from the 25th floor, down the stair well with tiles falling from the walls and extremely loud noise.
"Everyone was terrified that they might be buried alive inside the building. There was a crowd of frightened people all trying to escape and when they finally made it to safety, they were confronted by other frightened survivors."
WWF's Xi'an office immediately began to source emergency supplies and to offer relief and support to the community.
In the weeks that followed, thousands and thousands of aftershocks occurred, ranging in force from four to five. The priority for Xi'an staff was to find out as much as they could about damage to the Qinling giant panda habitat.
They knew that damage to the nature reserves would be devastating – but it was very hard to get information.
83 per cent of China's panda habitat affected by earthquake
WWF has over 30 working partnerships in the Qinling region. Forty nine panda reserves were affected by the quake, covering an extensive area of 1.9 million hectares, or 83 per cent of the total panda habitat which is home to about 1,400 wild pandas. In panda breeding and research centres, infrastructure was damaged or destroyed. One panda, Mao Mao died at Wolong Nature Reserve and one was unaccounted for.
Bamboo trip to Wolong panda reserve
In Minshan, at Wolong panda base, the news was just as devastating. A landslide had buried a large area of bamboo forest, leaving nearly 70 giant pandas short of food. As many pandas as possible were transferred out to safety but getting food to the remaining pandas was a challenge. Bamboo was sourced from Baoxing county - 12 hours away. Sympathetic farmers sold their bamboo as cheaply as possible in order to help the pandas.
The bamboo had to be fresh, so it was transported in four tonne batches every few days.
It was a perilous trip through mountains over 4,500 metres high, negotiating traffic jams caused by landslides to reach the hungry pandas. The efforts were worth it, with staff at the centre reporting their happiness.
"When you see the pandas enjoying eating bamboo, you smile from the bottom of your heart. Who knows how many people do so much, silently for this national treasure?"
WWF supporters gave generously
When WWF appealed for help in June 2008, 3,500 WWF supporters donated $260,000 to assist WWF's panda reconstruction work in China. WWF-Australia applied to AusAID, the Australian Government's overseas aid program, for matching funding - up to an additional $3 for every $1 donated.
Update: WWF post disaster reconstruction strategy initiated
