A national investigation and study on the living environment of giant pandas was carried out last April in the province, covering more than 400,000 hectares of land area in 9 countries.

Investigation and study have been conducted along half of the planned 1,610 routes in the province, said a local zoology expert.

The study, the third of its kind in China, focuses on the existing number, living environment and local economy in the three provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi, the major habitats of giant pandas.

With advanced technology and under the direction of experts, the investigation is progressing smoothly.

The latest results from the study show that most of the known giant panda homes in the Baishuijiang Nature Reserve are well protected.

Since China imposed a logging ban on natural forests in October 1998, the environment of many unknown habitats of giant pandas has also been considerably improved, the investigation shows.

(Xinhua 04/12/2001)