One-day Panda Keeper Program

Suggested Itinerary:

Day1Take Part in the Panda Keeper Program

In order to help the pandas to survive, China Conservation and Research Center has been recruiting volunteers from the public for many years. With guidance from base staffs, volunteers could learn more about giant pandas, and obtain an unforgettable experience by participating in the program. Please check the tried and tested itinerary for a whole day volunteer program tour. Your local guide may make some adjustments based on your request, weather and traffic.
7:00 A.M. Hotel Pick up
Your local guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. He or she will contact you one day in advance for double checking your tour.
8:40 A.M. Arrive at the Base and Sign up
It takes about one and a half hours to get to the base by car from Chengdu. Then you will sign up and get your volunteer tag, working suit and a pair of gloves with assistance from your guide. Afterwards, a staff from the base will be introduced to you. He or she can speak simple English. Your tour guide will also accompany you and help to interpret or take photos for you.
9:00 A.M. --- 10:00 A.M. Clean Panda Houses and Collect Fresh Bamboo
Volunteers will be divided into teams. The base staffs will lead the teams to pandas’ living area by taking a minibus. The works include cleaning panda enclosures and collecting fresh bamboo for pandas. The bamboo stems should be smashed by hands. The panda keepers offer them fresh bamboo three times a day. With 70% wasted, giant pandas only eat 30% of the bamboo meal offered by panda keepers. So, the leftovers and panda’s feces should be swept out and replaced with fresh bamboo by the keepers.
10:00 A.M. --- 11:00 A.M. Take a Rest and Tour around the Enclosures
There are almost 30 giant pandas raised in the base. Your can enjoy your visit to pandas from one to another without waiting in the noisy queues.
11:00 A.M. --- 11:30 A,M. Feed Pandas
Pandas are supplied with apples, carrots and panda cakes four times daily. You can feed them with your own hands at a very close distance.
11:30 A.M. --- 1:00 P.M. Lunch and Rest Time
A canteen offers panda keepers simple Chinese dishes, rice and porridge. The lunch is included in the payment. We highly recommend you to prepare some snacks in case that you do not like the food supplied by the base. After lunch, you can either tour around the enclosures, or just have a rest in the volunteer service office. Benches are provided.
1:00 P.M. --- 1:45 P.M. Watch a documentary movie to learn about panda’s stories
2:00 P.M. --- 3:00 P.M. Offer Pandas with More Fresh Bamboo, Carrots and Cakes
The bamboo meal placed in the morning would become dry in hours. Pandas do not like the dried bamboo stems. So, the keepers usually remove the dried bamboo meal and replace it with fresh one. Afterwards, feed the pandas with carrots and cakes.
3:00 P.M. --- 3:30 P.M. Make Cakes for Panda
You might wonder how the panda cakes were made. After feeding pandas, the base staffs will show you how to make panda cakes. The ingredients are prepared in advance. You can make panda cakes into whatever shapes you like.
3:30 P.M. Be issued with a Certificate
You will get a certificate for your unforgettable interaction with pandas. Then, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel. You may get to your hotel in Chengdu at 5:30pm.

Services Included:

√ On-line professional consultancy

√ Helpful local guide

√ Well-trained professional driver and comfortable vehicle with ample space

√ Mineral water(one bottle of mineral water per person per day)

√ Entry to all attractions listed on your itinerary

√ 24-hours helpline covering the whole of your tour

What's excluded:

Volunteer fee charged by the panda base

Hotel accommodation

Personal expenses

Tipping

Travel Tips：

Activities Recommended for Enriching Your Tour

Are you still wondering how you could kill time before going to bed? We have listed two highly recommended activities below for your preference. If you are interested in our recommendations, just feel free to contact us to add it.

Face-changing Show(one and a half hours)

Face-changing refers to the painted masks Changing. It is a significant cultural heritage of China, is the highlight of Sichuan folk art, as well as a national secret. Only few masters have grasped the skill. Only they know how to change their masks in a magically quick succession. Many tourists exclaimed that the face-changing was extremely amazing.

Sichuan Food Cooking(three to five hours)

To eat in China, taste in Sichuan, as a popular saying goes. In fact, you can also easily try to cook Sichuan dishes in Chengdu. Sichuan Cuisine Museum is located in Pidu District, Chengdu. It takes only one hour to get to the museum by car from your hotel. The trip to Sichuan Cuisine Museum offers you a chance to cook the world famous Sichuan Dishes, such as Kungpao Chicken and Mapo Tofu. No doubt, English speaking cooks will show you how to cook Sichuan dishes.

Tips for Your Trip

1. How to Book the Panda Keeper Program

As a qualified in-bound tour operator, we have established long-term and stable cooperative relations with China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda. Sometimes the program is subject to be changed by deterministic factors. But we are able to ensure you to get the helpful first-hand information. It helps to guarantee the availability if you book early. According to pandas’ health condition, sometimes the activities illustrated above might be also adjusted a little. We hope that our clients could understand.

The itinerary is flexible. You can extend or shorten it to suit your schedule. If you could not finish all the volunteering works mentioned, you can just take part in the morning ones. But the payment is the same.

Physical fitness certificate is required for the panda keeper program application. Click the link below to download the form of fitness certificate.

2. Age Limit for Volunteers

Anyone between 12 and 65 could apply for the panda keeper volunteering works. Even though pandas look docile, they are carnivores. Children are not allowed to be in direct touch with Pandas. Parents must take care of their children.

3. Dress Code

In order to protect yourself, a working suit offered by the base and a pair of water-proof shoes are highly recommended.

4. It is allowed to take photos in the whole process of panda keeper program. Your guide will help you take photos.

5. It is the peak season of Sichuan Tourism between July and September. Reservation has to be confirmed at least 3 weeks in advance. If the volunteer availability can not meet your arrival at Dujiangyan Panda Base, we can also arrange an alternative tour for you to take part in the Wolong Panda Base Panda Keeper Program.

6. If you need, we can also help you to book hotels in Chengdu and arrange a transfer to Chengdu airport and railway stations.

Author: Tina Luo

Update: