App Raises Awareness of Diminishing Giant Panda Population
LOS ANGELES, October 1 , 2014 – In an effort to educate as well as entertain, YANUA International has launched the Saving Pandas free mobile application game in collaboration with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (Chengdu Panda Base).
The Saving Pandas P-5 (Pandas Five) app characters were inspired by a group of giant pandas that reside at the Chengdu Panda Base. The Saving Pandas game revolves around the heart or “心” (xin), the core of Chinese culture and its philosophy. Players use their skills and powers to overcome obstacles, hurdles and enemies on unfriendly planets to save baby pandas. In between levels, facts about giant pandas educate players about the importance of conservation of one of the world’s most treasured animals. Pandas are a symbol of China and the three great Chinese philosophies — Confucianism, Zen Buddhism and Taoism feature many teachings that focus on the heart.
Giant pandas inhabit the six major mountain ranges in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces of China. They have the digestive system of a carnivore, but the rare black and white animals depend almost exclusively on bamboo, foraging 14 or more hours a day. With a population of less than 1600, the species is included on the endangered list by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and is protected by China’s Wildlife Protective Law as a special-class protected animal. Though small in number, giant pandas have visited many countries and serve as envoys of friendship from China to the world.
Dr. Richard C Helfer, Chairman of YANUA International, says, “We see the interactive nature of this game to be an extraordinary way of engaging people on the topic of panda conservation. The long term efforts of sustaining the giant panda population through programs such as reintroducing the giant panda back into its natural habitat are vital to the future of these wondrous creatures which have survived the flux of changes through millions of years of evolution.”
YANUA International Pte Ltd is incorporated in Singapore. YANUA’S philosophical beliefs are at the heart of the company and can be found in their ventures. YANUA is a lifestyle brand rooted in Asian ways of living and thinking, while recognizing and incorporating the ideals of Western thought. YANUA is a long-time supporter of the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Foundation and is committed to furthering panda research at Panda Valley in Chengdu. YANUA’S efforts in supporting giant panda conservation include recent cause marketing campaigns with the San Diego Zoo to benefit the Zoo’s Global Wildlife Conservancy and the National Zoo in Washington, DC to benefit the Friends of the National Zoo. www.yanua.com
The Chengdu Panda Base is a non-profit organization engaged in wildlife research, captive breeding, conservation education and educational tourism. It is located in Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China. The base was founded in 1987 with six giant pandas rescued from the wild and has grown to 145 giant pandas today. The world-renowned institution is the only place in the world with both wild (in situ) and a captive (ex situ) panda population. www.panda.org.cn
The free Saving Pandas mobile app is available in the Apple app store and can be played on iPhone, iPod or iPad. It can be downloaded in English, Japanese, Mandarin, French, Spanish and Portuguese. www.savingpandas.com.