If you protect Po and his home you’re protecting so much more for people and nature
In celebration of the new chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s beloved action-comedy franchise, Kung Fu Panda 4, WWF and DreamWorks Animation have teamed up to raise awareness about the plight of the real wildlife depicted in the film.
Get ready for more kung fu awesomeness as Po, the legendary Dragon Warrior, faces his greatest challenge yet! This hilarious, action-packed adventure sees Po ascend to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. But with a cunning new villain threatening the land, Po must team up with his friends – the wise Master Shifu, the fierce Tai Lung, and the nimble Zhen – to protect their home.
Just as Po takes on the role of Spiritual Leader, real-life animals like giant pandas, snow leopards, and more contribute to the health of their natural ecosystems. In fact, all organisms play a valuable role in keeping their native ecosystems balanced and thriving.
When we protect one species, we’re helping to protect them all for the benefit of people and nature.
When you protect pandas, you protect so much more
Discover some of the unique characteristics of these species and ways they support their natural habitats.
Giant pandas
Giant pandas live in the bamboo forests of China and play a crucial role within that forest habitat by spreading seeds and helping vegetation to grow. The ecosystems that pandas help to sustain are also important for livelihoods of local communities, who depend on them for food, income, fuel for cooking and heating, and medicine. Giant pandas love bamboo.
Snow leopard
Because of their incredible camouflage, making them almost invisible in their surroundings, snow leopards are often referred to as the ‘ghost of the mountains.’ As a changing climate increasingly affects the resources and habitats that both snow leopards and local communities share, WWF is working to help communities and species adapt.
Red panda
Primarily an herbivore who eats bamboo like giant pandas do, the red panda is slightly larger than a domestic cat, with a bear-like body and thick russet fur. Red pandas live at high altitudes within bamboo forests. But the loss of their nesting trees and bamboo is causing a decline in red panda populations, which is why it’s so critical to protect red panda habitats.
Tiger
After a century of decline, wild tiger populations are starting to recover worldwide – and are stable or increasing in China and other countries in Asia. As large predators, wild tigers play a key role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem for both nature and people. Tigers prefer to eat hoofed animals such as wild deer and wild pigs.
Pangolin
Pangolin comes from ‘penggulung,’ the Malay word for roller – the action a pangolin takes in self-defense. The pangolin is the most trafficked mammal in the world, as their scales and meat are highly valued for certain medicine practices and as a delicacy in some cultures. WWF and partners are working to stop wildlife trafficking and actively trying to reduce demand for illegal wildlife products.
You can help protect wildlife
Explore our teaching resources for ages 8-15, perfect for celebrating Kung Fu Panda 4 and learn how everyone can play a role in protecting wildlife and their wild homes.
Room to grow
Engage your students with an art project aimed at celebrating their unique strengths and fostering a growth mindset. Through this activity, they’ll learn and uncover their leadership skills as they reflect on their talents and future aspirations.
DOWNLOAD THE ARTS AND CRAFTS ACTIVITY
Biodiversity escape room
Challenge your students with this team-building, escape room-style exercise exploring ecological roles within an ecosystem and how biodiversity is connected to ecosystem health. While solving the puzzles, students will learn to recognize how their own actions contribute to a team’s success.
DOWNLOAD THE TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY
Conservation calculations: Species of Asia
Have your students practice multiplication, division, basic graphing, and multi-step word problems while learning about pandas, snow leopards, pangolins, and other Asian animals.
