Chengdu – Dujiangyan Panda Base Day Tour (Panda Keeper)

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel in Chengdu at 7:30am in the morning for a 1.5-hour drive to Dujiangyan Panda Base.

Once you have registered as a volunteer for the day, you will be provided with the work uniform, gloves and volunteer’s card. Professional keepers will then brief you about the day’s work and supervise your activities, with translation provided by your guide.

The following outlines the program of activities:

1. Clean the working area and prepare the bamboos

Your first task is to clean the working area and prepare the bamboo for the pandas. This involves carrying the bamboos, breaking the bamboo sticks, washing bamboos shoots, and make them to be ready for feeding pandas.

2. Take a close look to see how the pandas are fed and trained by the professional keepers. Learn about the living habits of the pandas.

You will closely watch the professional keepers feeding and training the pandas. Get the scientific knowledge from the experts and learn about the living habits of the pandas.

3. Explore the Panda Base at Leisure

Take a walk around the base in the designated area and enjoy its peaceful natural setting. You might see chubby panda cubs climbing trees, playing on the grass, and sleeping on the treetops. It’s time to bring out your camera and take great photos.

4. Revitalize with a simple lunch

Have a simple lunch with other volunteers at the staff canteen. Though the meal is a little basic, it is of traditional Chinese flavor. You can take a short break after lunch.

5. Watch a panda documentary

Watch a 40-minute movie to learn scientific facts about this endangered species and the extraordinary efforts being taken to protect them.

6. Make food for pandas and cut the bamboo leaves

Make some panda cakes, (“Wowotou”, the nutritious steamed bread), with prepared ingredients under the guidance of the instructor. Here is a chance to use your imagination to create differently shaped cakes. Cut the fresh bamboo leaves for preparing the tender food for the elderly pandas.

7. Finish the program

The program will conclude around 3pm, when you will be presented with a certificate given by China Conservation and Research Centre for The Giant Panda to remember this meaningful experience.

The tour will finish around 5.00pm, when you will be transferred to your hotel.

Tips:

1. Panda Keeper Program has an age limit from 8 years to 70 years. For children under 8 years who are accompanied by an adult, they can take the standard panda tour in the panda base, but not be able to be the panda volunteers due to the age restriction.

2. As a maximum of 60 keepers are allowed each day, it is advisable that you book the program at least two weeks before your departure. You will appreciate that sometimes adjustments may be made to the program due to pandas’ health condition. Accurate information about the program will be provided to you by our travel consultants as soon as we are advised.

3. Each Panda Keeper Program applicant must provide a Physical Examination Record prior to commencement of the day’s activities.

4. Panda keepers are strongly advised to be guided by their supervisors and should approach the animals with extreme caution and only under supervision. Though pandas look gentle, they are animals and their behaviors can be unpredictable.

5. On the day working as the panda keepers, wear the pants and comfortable shoes with good traction. And should not apply perfume, nail polish, strong fragranced skincare, sunscreen, and insect repellent, because the pandas are very sensitive to smell.

6. A surcharge may apply if you need the transfer to the airport after the Panda Keeper Program. If so, please make sure your flight leaves after 7pm. Alternatively the program can be shortened to fit in with your travel arrangements.