Adopt!

Pandas and tigers are the stars of WWF’s direct response TV (DRTV) commercials, which run on local channels daily, asking viewers to consider adopting pandas or tigers for HK$50 or above a month. The adoption is symbolic; the animals remain in the wild, where they roam freely, and are neither tracked nor visited.

The money raised supports WWF’s conservation efforts and makes adopting an animal for yourself or on behalf of someone else very meaningful. At the moment, there are as few as 3,200 tigers living in the wild. They are on the brink of extinction because of poaching, habitat loss and conflicts with humans—poachers target the animal for its skin, to make trophies, as well as to harvest body parts for traditional Asian medicine, Furthermore, the big cat’s habitats are under threat due to the clear cutting of jungles. Agricultural and industrial development continues to encroach on these habitats.

The panda’s situation is just as precarious. It is now estimated that as few as 1,600 pandas remain in the wild today, mainly at risk due to the loss of habitat. Again, clear cutting of forests for agriculture, timber and fuel wood have destroyed 50 percent of the bamboo forests that make up the panda's home. And instability of bamboo, which is the panda’s major food supply, is another problem. It takes 10 to 20 years to grow enough bamboo to sustain a viable panda population, and any sudden widespread damage could cause malnourishment and even starvation.

Your monthly donation can help us make a difference. “With consistent funding, we will be able to protect pandas and tigers from poachers, protect and restore habitats lost due to deforestation and farming; and work with governments, organisations and local people to help endangered species,” says Dorothy Law, project manager, DRTV at WWF-Hong Kong. “And in Hong Kong, we aim to educate the public to learn how to protect the animals and to arouse awareness towards the endangered species. Only by protecting the Earth’s lush biodiversity can humans live in harmony with nature.”

Panda and Tiger monthly donor will receive an attractive gift pack containing a cuddly stuffed toy panda or tiger, an adoption certificate, a limited edition bag, with four issues of About Life and three updates a year about WWF’s work with pandas and tigers.
“By making this symbolic adoption, you can definitely help WWF's conservation work to save these endangered animals and protect their habitats,” says Law. “You can also adopt for your family and friends as a meaningful gift and help spread the conservation message.”

WWF’s goal is to double the number of wild tiger by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger. We have also partnered with the Chinese government to establish over 50 panda reserves and protect the remaining panda habitats.

To see the stars of our commercials and for more information, visit wwf.org.hk/adoptpanda and wwf.org.hk/adopttiger.