Panda peak hour: The pack of pandas at Charing Cross tube station to promote the Chengdu Panda Base in ChinaYou see all kinds of grisly, hairy characters on the Tube but few commuters would’ve expected to see a pack of pandas on the platform.
A party of 108 pandas – performers dressed in costumes – descended on London streets today to promote the plight of the cuddly black and white endangered species.
The pandas did some tai-chi in Trafalgar Square before kicking on at a panda party in Convent Garden as part of the first ever Panda Awareness Week.
Channeling the chi: The 108 panda performers did a tai-chi inspired dance in Trafalgar Square much to the amusement of LondonersIn a bid to raise awareness of one of the world’s most endangered species and the Chengdu Panda Base in China, the 108 performers were hard to miss as they entertained Londoners and children during school visits with conservationist and base ambassador Nigel Marven.
Strength in numbers: One of the world's most endangered species seemed quite at home crossing the road in Central London
Threatened largely by habitat loss, there are less than 1600 pandas left in the wild‘Pandas used to be really difficult to breed in captivity, but the Chengdu base and other zoos around the world have cracked the problem and now there are around 400 in captivity,’ Mr Marven said.
‘It's a great conservation success story.’
The base hopes to keep up public awareness of pandas and the necessity of conservation of their natural habitats while Increasing the wild population by reintroducing individuals into areas in China where populations have declined.
source: dailymail
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