Pandas Evacuated From Quake-Hit Reserve

May 23, 2008 -- Six rare giant pandas were transferred Friday from the world-famous breeding center at Wolong, joining eight other animals who will leave the site in southwest China due to severe damage caused by last week's quake.

Xinhua news agency said the six of the endangered animals were trucked to another nature reserve in quake-hit Sichuan province because of damage to their shelters and a food shortage caused by the May 12 earthquake.

"There is enough water now, but food is still a major problem. The pandas are in urgent need of bamboos and apples," Xiong Beirong, an official with the Sichuan provincial forestry bureau, was quoted as saying.

The pandas were headed for a reserve near the city of Ya'an, about 124 miles to the southwest.

The fate of the Wolong pandas, possibly Sichuan's most famed residents, has been a cause of public concern following the quake.

Wolong is a major tourist draw to the region and source of some of the animals that China has loaned to overseas zoos in diplomatic goodwill gestures.

The epicenter of last week's quake was in Wenchuan county, about 20 miles from Wolong.

The quake had a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale, and caused catastrophic damage and at least 55,000 deaths.

Eight other pandas were to be flown out of Sichuan to Beijing Zoo on Saturday, a zoo spokeswoman said on Thursday.

However, that was a previously scheduled transfer as the pandas were due to be displayed in the capital during the August 8-24 Olympic Games.