A 24-hour panda cam now live-streams video of the animals from the largest panda reserve in China, an unusual opportunity to see the pandas at play, rest and eating in a natural environment.
Explore.org, a philanthropic organization based in Los Angeles, is hoping the live stream (which you can view here) will raise awareness of the endangered creatures, with only about 1,600 Giant Pandas living in the wild.
The best viewing hours for watching the pandas are between 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET, and between 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. ET, the group advises. When the bears are sleeping, viewers can look at clips and recent highlights of their activities.
Live streaming is also available on Explore.org's Endangered Animals Facebook page.
There are zoos around the world that have panda cams, including some in the U.S. — the San Diego Zoo, the National Zoo in Washington, D.C, Zoo Atlanta — that all have pandas on loan to them from China. But there's nothing quite like the vantage point this panda cam has.
Charlie Annenberg Weingarten, Explore's director, said he hopes the live stream, which started this month, will make those who aren't already in love with pandas fall head over heels.
“My belief is that if you see the natural world you live in, you will fall in love with it and want to become a better custodian for it,” he told Mashable. “We’re hoping these cameras can bring people together in a global place. Hopefully these animals will do the heavy lifting for humanity.”
— Via Mashable
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