New Hope Volunteers

Since 1998, More than 18000 happy volunteers


Panda Conservation (near Chengdu)

Panda Conservation Project in China is currently unavailable for volunteers. We will notify you once the project resumes. New Hope Volunteers is sorry for your inconvenience.

volunteer panda conservation in China
  • Get up close and personal with Giant Pandas
  • Learn what it takes to protect pandas and be part of conservation efforts
  • Soak up real Chinese culture while practicing your Mandarin with the local staff
  • Explore the best of China, with attractions such as the Yangtze River and the Terracotta Warriors of Xi'An being at close distance

If you love pandas, then this is an exceptional chance to get up close and personal with the widely adored animals! The Giant Panda is a celebrated symbol of China. Unfortunately, the magnificent creatures are also facing extinction due to industrialization, loss of habitat, a naturally low birth-rate and a history of poaching. The Panda Conservation Project started with the help of the Chinese government and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), now has 80 pandas on 76 hectares of land. As a Panda Conservation Volunteer, you will help to care for the Giant Pandas. You will be working with highly-trained and specialized staff to ensure that these endangered animals can grow in the best conditions possible. The Giant Panda is extremely difficult to breed while in captivity, and their physical and mental health always needs to be in top form. Volunteers will help the center provide daily treatment, maintenance and love to the pandas so they may live long prosperous and happy lives as a species. Volunteer in this project and be part of this brilliant effort to save a unique species from extinction.

Volunteers’ Responsibilities

Every day is a new adventure when working with Giant Pandas! This volunteer project is very hands-on and you will interact directly with the pandas. Volunteers work with the permanent project staff and in-country coordinators to structure your volunteer experience. There are a variety of ways you can help! Your volunteer experience at the Panda Conservation Center might include:

  • Feeding and watering the animals
  • Cleaning animal enclosures
  • Bathing the animals
  • Helping with basic medical treatments
  • Helping with artificial insemination, ultrasounds and births of cubs
  • Animal observation and behavior documentation
  • General maintenance and center repairs including landscaping, fencing, etc
  • Directing Conservation Center tours during tourist season
  • Center administration support: data entry, marketing materials and brochure development, website editing, etc.
  • Teach English to the Chinese staff
How You Can Make a Difference

As a volunteer you can get up close and personal with one of the world’s most iconic animals. You’ll also be able to learn what it takes to protect the Giant Panda, while making a real difference to its survival. You can also help the sustainability of the program by assisting the local staff with English language tutoring as well. Helping the staff with their English is important so that they can attract more tourists and generate an increase in revenue at the center. This can then pay for research and looking after the pandas. The project staff also wants to improve and practice their English so that they can attend international conferences on animal conservation.

Skills and Qualifications

There are no special skills or specific qualifications needed to join New Hope’s Panda Conservation volunteer project except for medical requirements. Volunteers need to have a love of animals, an interest in wildlife conservation and remember that flexibility and patience work best as a volunteer. For safety reasons, volunteers will be shadowed by a local staff member at all times. Due to the nature of the work, volunteers need to be: mature, responsible, and have an interest in animal conservation.

The conservation center requires that all participants in the program provide their immunization records or a physical exam record that is no more than three (3) months old.

Please download this form, print it out and have it filled out by your physician. Make sure to bring all original results in paper format with you. You can wait until you arrive to China and our in-country staff will help you with a medical check-up for an extra $100 on top of your program fee, paid to our in-country coordinator directly in cash.

Project Location

The Panda Conservation project is located near Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province near central China. Chengdu is a vibrant city, rich in historical charm, cultural gems and breathtaking natural beauty. One of the largest cities in Southwest China, it is a densely populated area with over 14 million residents. Chengdu is also the natural habitat of Giant Pandas, which inhabit its mountainous perimeters. Western Chengdu is bordered by the mountainous area of Qionglai, which has mountains with elevations exceeding 3,000 meters such as Miao Jiling (5,364 meters) and Xiling Snow Mountain (5,164 meters). The western mountainous area is also home to a large primitive forest with abundant biological resources. Though the city’s most famous attraction is the Giant Panda, it is also celebrated for its diverse foods and laidback tea culture. Chengdu also has various wonderful monasteries and temples to be visited such as: The Temple of Marquis Wu, The Tomb of General Wang Jian, and the Wenshu Monastery.

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