http://www.wildlifeworldwide.com/ Wildlife Worldwide offers the unsurpassed opportunity to track and view the solitary Giant Panda in the wild during its 13-day In Pursuit of Pandas tour visiting Shaanxi Foping and Laoxiancheng Nature Reserves - and if you're REALLY lucky... MAYBE the endangered South China Tiger, will make an appearance... Although with numbers dwindling to just a few, according to a recent report by the WWF, chances are less than slim. Departures from London March to November 2008.
On arrival in China, an initial 2-night stay in Xi'an allows time for an obligatory visit to the Terracotta Warriors before rather more animated natural sights are sought.
In nearby Yang County there is an overnight stay at the Ibis Reserve to observe the world's only wild population of Crested Ibis. Continue by road to Foping County and the Shaanxi Foping National Nature Reserve Bureau and Qinling Mountains Man & Nature Educational Centre.
Here, travellers learn more about local projects to protect wildlife. The Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi provide a rich and diverse range of ecosystems, and the remote location ensures the survival of many rare species including the elusive Giant Panda, Golden Monkey, Takin, Golden Eagle and Clouded Leopard. Qinling has the highest density of pandas anywhere in the world offering the best chance to observe the bears in their natural habitat.
From Foping Reserve there is a hike to Qinling Wild Research Centre and later a stay at the Sanguanmiao Research Centre for 3-nights during which daily trips with specialist naturalist guides search for wild Giant Pandas and other wildlife.
Later, there's a chance for further sightings in Laoxiancheng Nature Reserve, where again guests enjoy specialist-guided treks in search of Giant Pandas over the course of a 2-night stay. A final night in the area is spent at the WWF sponsored Panda Hotel, before returning via Xi'an and Beijing to London.
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