Cute pandas playing on slide

Chengdu in China has been the hometown of the giant panda - - one of the world's most endangered species - for more than 8 million vears, and the Chengdu Panda Base (a not-for-profit organisation) is a world-renowned breeding and research center for the giant panda. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2012, the Panda Base now has the largest controlled breeding population in the world -- 108 giant pandas Panda Awareness Week highlights the work of the Chengdu Panda Base in fostering the continued growth of the giant panda population, as well as rescuing and rehabilitating pandas so they can return to the wild.