by Dr Matt Durnin

Day 1
I arrive at the Wolong Panda Breeding Centre, which WWF helped to set up, but which now operates well without us. It has recently begun to work on releasing pandas into the wild.

Day 2
It is autumn here and the whole area is beautiful, with the trees changing colour. I meet David Suchet's wife and show her around the panda habitat behind the breeding centre, the deciduous trees and the bamboo undergrowth; she is clearly delighted. We aren't lucky enough to see any pandas, but David spends time in the breeding centre getting a chance to see loads of them – up close and personal!

Day 3
Visit the Panda Club at Wolong, where people are able to arrange for photos of themselves with pandas. It's not exactly conservation of species in the wild, but it does create lots of interest in the animals. We take David Suchet up to the area where Lucky – the first panda to be released into the wild from Wolong – has been released. David is very amusing and, as he examines some rather elderly panda-pooh covered in mushrooms, he reflects on the fact that Poirot wouldn't be seen dead in the same situation.

Day 4
Today the guys all head off to the Tudiling corridor, where WWF is working to link two areas of panda habitat and create a bigger space for the wild pandas of the Minshan mountains. David is due to spend some time seeing how the biogas stoves, which run on animal poo – and sometimes human poo too – help to provide fuel and warmth while at the same time preventing people from having to take firewood from the protected forests. Sadly I have to head off...