The number of giant pandas has increased to 102 in the
Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve in the northwestern
China's?Gansu?Province,
according to the latest survey conducted by the reserve
authority.
The increase is attributed to more bamboo food of the pandas as
a result of improved environment, a source with the nature reserve
said.
In recent years, the local government has made great efforts in
forest protection in the reserve. More than 26,670 hectares of
farming land has been transformed into forest.
Meanwhile, large areas of revived arrow bamboo also provide more
food for giant pandas.
Covering 2,100 square km, the reserve now boasts 87.2 percent of
the giant pandas in Gansu and 6.4 percent of the national
figure.
China now has approximately 1,600 giant pandas, which mainly
live in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces.?
(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2005)