Pambassador candidates take final test

The top 16 candidates for the 2012 Pambassador Campaign have arrived at the Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China's Chengdu. These passionate wildlife conservationists have come from countries all around the world, and it's their first experience of seeing pandas up close.

Finally, a chance to see pandas in real life.

The top 16 candidates for the Pambassador Campaign have arrived in Southwest China's Chengdu, and now they're vying for the top three slots.

For many of the candidates, it's their first visit to China and their first contact with pandas. For the US candidate, the experience is very moving.

Ashley Jaeger, US Candidate said, "It was very overwhelming, I was getting choked up. I have never see a baby panda before. I have been dreaming to see one since I was a little girl."

Building a close connection between the pandas and the pambassadors is key. And it's easy to see how keen some of these candidates are -- a hat, nails and hair band featuring pandas.

Wang Fan, Chinese Candidate said, "I think the hat shows how much I'm interested in pandas. I had my nails done over one month ago, I try to coordinate what I wear around the panda theme."

Unlike some of his female peers, the French candidate is interested more in the names, birthdays and ages of the panda's, which help him form a better connection with them.

Jerome Pouille, French Candidate said, "Their dates of birth, I put the photos I've taken onto the French website I created, I'll update the website everyday as a record of my experience."

Pouille is a panda fan, he's collected thousands of books about the animals. He's even founded an English website to share his stories with other people who share his interest.

However, being interested in pandas is one thing, being able to take care of a baby panda is another. And there's still fierce competition ahead.

In the following days, they'll take part in educational programs designed to familiarise them with the habits of pandas. They'll put their newly acquired knowledge into practice by assisting panda researchers and will join a Global Conservation Tour in 2013 to educate communities on the importance of panda conservation. Only three of the sixteen candidates will get the privilege of becoming a 2012 Global Pambassador.

It's only the first step to becoming a qualified as pambassador. There's a long way to go to raise public awareness of panda protection.