Chinanews, Chengdu, February 13 - According to Wolong Giant Panda Reserve, the giant panda population in the reserve is expected to exceed 180 by 2010, which will be a new world record. Currently, there are 119 giant pandas there.

 

The reserve was founded in 1980 jointly by the Chinese government and World Wildlife Fund to protect giant pandas from extinction. At present, 55% of the artificially bred pandas are kept in the reserve, making the biggest and most active giant panda community in the world.

 

The reserve started the artificial reproduction of giant pandas in 1991, and 94 of all the 109 baby pandas born in 73 batches have survived. The researchers in the reserve are proud to say that they have solved the key technical problems of the artificial reproduction of giant pandas, including estrus, conception and the survival of the babies under domestication environment. In fact, all the baby pandas born in the last 6 years have survived.

 

The reserve will choose 5 to 10 pandas and send them back to the wild before 2010, according to Zhang Hemin, the director of the Research Centre of the reserve.