Infrared cameras in the Chongzhou section of Giant Panda National Park , in Chongqing, Sichuan, have resumed a wild giant panda mother and her cub, born in 2025, move through the snow, serenely in a snowy bamboo forest about 2,800 meters above sea level. The mother often checks on the cub, who follows her closely. Footage shared by CGTN on January 11, 2026, went viral on social media. This sighting confirms the steady growth of the wild panda population, estimated at 1,900 in China. Scenes like these always melt the heart!
Chongqing, Sichuan Province, wild giant panda mother and cub spotted in the snow: details
The images show the pair calmly strolling through the deep snow in the Chongzhou section, about 2,800 meters above sea level, with the protective mother and the agile cub despite the harsh winter. Park experts judge the cub, born in 2025, to be vibrant, reflecting the conservation successes since the 2016 IUCN delisting. Over 600 infrared cameras monitor the area, also capturing Sichuan takin, Asiatic black bears, and Temminck's tragopan between May and December 2025.
Meaning of conservation of protected species
The Giant Panda National Park It protects 1,340 wild pandas out of China's 1,900 total, plus 8,000 sympatric species such as golden monkeys and snow leopards. Sightings like this one in Chongqing, Sichuan, indicate regenerated habitats, with pandas spotted four times in bamboo, dating back to July 2025.