| China Quake Threatens Giant Pandas | 03 July 08 |
 China's giant pandas are in danger after last month's devastating earthquake in the heart of mountainous panda country in Sichuan province. Much of China's remaining giant panda habitat was seriously damaged and at least 8 percent completely destroyed as the quake leveled vast stretches of dense forests and bamboo stands. Food shortages now pose a serious threat to surviving pandas. The Wolong Giant Panda Reserve Centre, the world's most important panda reserve, is just 20 miles away from the quake's epicenter. It is home to 86 giant pandas, which are slowly being transported to other wildlife reserves and temporary shelters due to the threat of landslides and aftershocks. Only 1,600 pandas still live in the wild and experts are concerned over reproductively of the endangered giant panda. The quake hit during a small 24-72 hour window when female pandas are fertile each spring. The Wolong research center was still able to artificially inseminate more than a dozen captive pandas. View June 24, 2008 CBC article View June 13, 2008 Planet Ark article View June 11, 2008 Seattle Times article View May 13, 2008 CNN article Sources: CBC, Planet Ark, Seattle Times, CNN |
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