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Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) captured in Wang Lang NR, Sichuan. WWF / Peking University: © WWF China/Wang Lang NR/Peking University / WWF-Canon 

On 22 May 2013 the WWF released dozens of photographs and video footage of endangered species captured by camera traps in the mountainous giant panda reserves in China, marking this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity.

The images and footage, rarely seen before, showcase an array of endangered species in their remote habitats in southwestern Sichuan Province, including giant panda, red panda, Tibetan stump-tailed macaque and leopard cat.

Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) captured in Wang Lang NR, Sichuan. WWF / Peking University: © WWF China/Wang Lang NR/Peking University / WWF-Canon 

“The multimedia materials are obtained under circumstances where there was little external disturbance and, therefore, they truly reflect the conditions of those species in the wild,” said Jiang Zeyin, species programme officer at WWF-China.

With the footage, WWF conservation officers have gained a better understanding of the identification of animal traces and areas of their activities, the study of the impact of human activities on the species and management of nature reserves, according to Jiang.

Takin (Budorcas taxicolor), An Zi He NR, China WWF / Peking University: © WWF China/An Zi He NR/Peking University / WWF-CanonThe materials were filmed since 2011 by more than 100 infra-red camera traps set up in six nature reserves by WWF and its partners from the local forestry authority as part of the monitoring effort under the giant panda conservation programme.

“The images demonstrate that through the conservation of the giant panda, a flagship umbrella species, we can also protect other threatened wildlife from the same habitat and preserve biological diversity,” said Fan Zhiyong, director of WWF species programme in China. It is a tried method in WWF’s biodiversity conservation and the reason why WWF would underscore the value of protecting flagship species, he said.

Temminck's tragopan (Tragopan temminckii) captured in Wang Lang NR, Sichuan. WWF / Peking University: © WWF China/Wang Lang NR/Peking University / WWF-CanonChina has more than 6,500 species of vertebrates representing 14 percent of the global total, making it one of the 12 globally recognized “mega-biodiversity” countries.

However, the population of more than 10 flagship and keystone species in China, which include Amur tigers, musk deer and the Yangtze finless porpoise, have undergone a marked decline that was particularly severe between the 1960s and 1980s.

“The overall biodiversity in China is in decline despite partial improvement in some places. The main threat has been the habitat loss and fragmentation due to invasive human activities,” said Fan.

Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) captured in Shen Guo Zhuang NR, Sichuan. WWF / Peking University: © WWF China/Shen Guo Zhuang NR/Peking University / WWF-Canon

“Large-scale planning and implementation aimed at establishing a network of habitats should always be considered,” said Fan.

This news and the pictures are from the WWW, 22 May 2013

About WWF

WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.