|
Download Two dozen eager semifinalists from North America gathered in Washington on Tuesday to compete for positions as panda ambassadors, also known as Pambassadors. All were hoping to be selected as one of three globe-trotting winners who will spread the panda conservation concept and visit Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan province and home of the pandas. The 24 semifinalists were scheduled to participate in a series of challenges on Tuesday and Wednesday in which their panda knowledge, physical strength, communications skills and team-working abilities would be tested. The 2017 Global Pambassador program - a three-month competition organized by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in partnership with WildAid, an organization focusing on stopping illegal wildlife trade, and the Yao Ming Foundation - aims to develop global awareness of giant panda conservation. A total of 255,412 overseas contestants registered for the contest on Facebook, of whom 59,174 were from the United States. After the online "PandaQuest" competition, 24 regional winners are chosen in each region, including Europe, North America, the Asia-Pacific region and the Chinese mainland. Four finalists from each region make it to the final competition in Chengdu. The three winners will serve as Chengdu Pambassadors for one year and participate in a Global Panda Conservation Tour in 2013. They will take a unique journey into the natural habitat of wild pandas and participate in panda-release programs designed to reintroduce captive bears into the wild. | 
