Through the persistent efforts of scientists, animal care, and public outreach specialists, the San Diego Zoo Giant Panda Team dedicated itself to improving the plight of giant pandas through the application of scientific findings to panda management, and engaging the public in the plight of this once-endangered conservation icon. They had an unparalleled opportunity to study this rare and elusive bear to a level of detail rarely experienced in wildlife science. And through long-term collaboration with the panda team in China, they were able to extend studies to the panda breeding center at Wolong and beyond—to the study of wild giant pandas. The long-term studies of the panda’s behavior and physiology provided important insights into the requirements for successful reproduction, maternal care, and foraging—key elements of both individual survival and population sustainability. (Photo of Bai Yun and Xiao Liwu)