China’s giant panda, a species which was on the brink of extinction several decades ago, is now a national symbol. The panda is not only the mascot of the China-hosted Asian and Olympic Games, but also the emblem of the World Wildlife Fund. As of 2022, there are more than 600 pandas bred in captivity worldwide, and over 1,800 wild pandas in China, providing enough genetic diversity to ensure successful breeding for years to come. Noting the panda’s popularity, China Central Television has maintained round-the-clock livestreams of the animals since 2013. While winning a huge fan base estimated at 13-16 million nationwide, pandas can be observed both on and offline, which sometimes engenders quarrels and interventions among viewers about their condition. Since the 1950s, pandas have been sent as goodwill envoys to overseas countries including the US and Japan. With pandas’ fast-growing prominence, more experts across the world have joined in the protection of the charismatic species.
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