Wild Habitat (Minshan/Qionglai)

Wild Habitat (Minshan/Qionglai) is a specialized conservation-focused zoo located at the transitional zone between the Minshan Mountains and Qionglai Mountains in Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province, an area recognized as the core global distribution range of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), red panda (Ailurus fulgens), and Sichuan takin (Budorcas taxicolor tibetana). Classified as a key supplementary site for the Giant Panda National Park, the facility works closely with the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda to support the IUCN Red List reassessment of vulnerable panda subpopulations, while also implementing CITES Appendix I species protection protocols for all traded endangered fauna in its collection. In addition to its core giant panda breeding and reintroduction programs, the zoo hosts rescue and rehabilitation populations of endemic Sichuan species including the golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana), black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis), and Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus). It has established a long-term research partnership with Sichuan University College of Life Sciences to study the gut microbiome of captive pandas transitioning to wild bamboo diets,