Six Pandas Moved From Rattled Reserve

China flying food to more than 80 bears at reserve

(NEWSER) - Three giant pandas are missing from the famed Wolong panda reserve that was hit by the magnitude 7.9 earthquake last week in China, AFP reports. Emergency supplies of bamboo—the panda's staple—and apples are being flown into the area to help save the endangered animals. More than 80 are safe—including two offered by Beijing to Taiwan as goodwill gifts. More»

Experts will monitor captive-born animals in forest

(NEWSER) - Four pregnant giant pandas are on the loose in a forest near the reserve where the captive-bred animals normally live, and they'll be allowed to give birth and raise their offspring there, the Xinhua News Agency reports. "We hope the mothers can teach their cubs life skills to help them survive in the wild," says an expert from the Wolong research center. " All of the carefully chosen pandas have experience of living in the wild." More»

Chinese institute boasts just four births this year

(NEWSER) - The breeding program at China's Chengdu panda institute has produced just four pandas this year. Researchers say the panda mothers are mostly too exhausted to conceive more babies after last year's record 18 births, the Times of London reports. This year's births included twins Wen Li and Ya L, born in July. Wen Li has been this year's troublemaker and has made repeated escape attempts, institute workers complain. More»

(NEWSER) - Giant panda Mei Xiang, whose first cub became an international superstar, is not pregnant, National Zoo officials said today. The panda, who was artificially inseminated in January, experienced her third false pregnancy in as many years, the Washington Post reports. Four-year-old Tai Shan, Mei Xiang's only cub to survive infancy, is scheduled to be handed over to the Chinese government later this year. More»

They shift to a Sichuan reserve while their damaged home is rebuilt

(NEWSER) - Beijing's "Olympic pandas"—which drew 2 million fans during their 10-month stay in the city's zoo—have been returned to Sichuan Province, Xinhua reports. Their original habitat was damaged in last May's earthquake, so the pack of eight will reside in a panda reserve for now. Several will return to Beijing when China celebrates its 60th anniversary in two months. More»