text:  Pandas became a catalyst for scientific advancement in China, and one major change came in the form of nature reserves. China set aside its first-ever reserve for general ecology research back in the 50s. And in the 60s, right around the time China was gearing up to gift pandas, it established a second natural reserve for pandas. China ended up establishing 67 nature reserves in the years since. They protected more than half of the pandas' entire habitat.