Film features Panda, Black Bear connection

China's giant pandas may be getting a hand from their North American cousins.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature may have re-classified giant pandas as a "vulnerable" instead of "endangered" species in 2016.

But the panda population in China is "still very vulnerable", and needs help, according to American researcher Ben Kilham, who will be featured in the new IMAX 3D film Pandas, scheduled for release in April.

Kilham, well known for his work with black bears in his home state of New Hampshire, has been working with researchers in China to see if his success in introducing captive-born black bears into the wild can be applied to pandas in China.

"We have raised and released into the wild about 165 black bear cubs," Kilham said in an interview. "Almost all of the behavioral research on pandas is done in zoo environments. To really learn how to save a species you have to see how they live and interact with other members of the species in the wild."

Kilham has been doing research on black bears for about 25 years. Giant pandas and black bears are different species of bears but have similar characteristics and behavior patterns.

"They are both large omnivores (which means they eat plants and animals)," said Kilham. "The pandas branched off the evolutionary tree about 13 million years ago while the black bear did it about six million years ago."

One of Kilham's major success stories involves a black bear named Squirty, who came to him when she was just seven weeks old. Now 22 years old, Squirty "recently gave birth to her 11th litter of cubs in the wild and I still have access to her," he said.

Kilham said some of the cubs that he rehabilitates come directly from their mother's den before they have an opportunity to travel and learn from her in the wild.

"We are able to walk these cubs untethered in the forest, giving them an opportunity to learn in their natural environment," he explained.

All animals including black bears and pandas have in them a natural genome that facilitates survival in their individual niches. The method allows for exposure to the wild environment that can be monitored and assisted if necessary after release," he said.

"I have been able to do all of this with black bears and the pandas are similar to work with," he said.

Thanks to a sister-in law and her friend who is the brother of John Spotila, the chairman and president of the Global Cause Foundation, Kilham's work with black bears was brought to the attention of panda researchers in China.

Several years ago at a conference on the effects of climate change on panda habitat, Kilham presented his work on the introduction of captive-born black bear cubs into the wild. "This interested the Chinese scientists," he said.

It's estimated that China has fewer than 2,000 pandas now. One issue that needs to be addressed, according to Kilham, is the lack of genetic diversity among the population. Introducing captivity-bred pandas into the wild would bring the diversity the population needs, he said.

The IMAX movie is directed by Drew Fellman, a producer and writer who previously worked on the documentaries Born to Be Wild (2011) and Island of Lemurs: Madagascar (2014).

Sheri Yi, who was born in Changsha and grew up in Beijing, is the executive vice-president of the Global Cause Foundation which has been working to save the species. She said giant pandas are a national treasure of China and also a treasure for the world.

"I hope the film will help millions of people see that giant pandas are worth saving in the wild. When allowed to roam free, they are curious, playful, energetic, alert and happy. I also want people to see that it's possible to make a difference in the world by working together for our common benefit," Yi said.