Quake-hit panda center recovers
Source: Xinhua |
April 24, 2011, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SOUTHWEST China's Wolong reserve, the world's largest giant panda breeding center, has recovered from the "devastating blow" dealt to it by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, with reconstruction slated for completion by the end of 2012.
"The new center, with more advanced and comprehensive facilities, will play a more important role in the world's efforts to protect this endangered species," Zhang Hemin, director of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda said.
While pursuing higher quality in the artificial breeding of these rare bears, the new center will become more prominent in its role as a training center for pandas that will be released back into the wild after being born in the center, Zhang said.
The center will also serve as a principal public educator in the area of wildlife protection, he added.
The Wolong reserve, some 30 kilometers away from the epicenter of the 2008 quake, was severely damaged in the disaster. The quake left one panda dead, one injured and another one missing.
"With severe damage to the center's infrastructure, total economic losses amounted to more than 1.9 billion yuan (US$292.4 million)," Zhang said. He indicated that 7 percent of the reserve was totally destroyed, including the center's core panda habitat.
Despite the damage, the Wolong center has bred 47 cubs since the disaster and is now home to 165 pandas, accounting for nearly 60 percent of China's giant panda population in captivity.
The new center is in the Shenshuping area of Gengda Township, some 22 kilometers northeast of its previous location.
The reconstruction costing nearly 300 million yuan began four weeks ago.
"The new center, with more advanced and comprehensive facilities, will play a more important role in the world's efforts to protect this endangered species," Zhang Hemin, director of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda said.
While pursuing higher quality in the artificial breeding of these rare bears, the new center will become more prominent in its role as a training center for pandas that will be released back into the wild after being born in the center, Zhang said.
The center will also serve as a principal public educator in the area of wildlife protection, he added.
The Wolong reserve, some 30 kilometers away from the epicenter of the 2008 quake, was severely damaged in the disaster. The quake left one panda dead, one injured and another one missing.
"With severe damage to the center's infrastructure, total economic losses amounted to more than 1.9 billion yuan (US$292.4 million)," Zhang said. He indicated that 7 percent of the reserve was totally destroyed, including the center's core panda habitat.
Despite the damage, the Wolong center has bred 47 cubs since the disaster and is now home to 165 pandas, accounting for nearly 60 percent of China's giant panda population in captivity.
The new center is in the Shenshuping area of Gengda Township, some 22 kilometers northeast of its previous location.
The reconstruction costing nearly 300 million yuan began four weeks ago.
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