China's Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in the southwest province of Sichuan will finish setting up the country's first giant panda blood bank this year, said a center spokesperson about three weeks ago.

Located in the giant panda breeding lab, the bank will answer questions such as how many blood types pandas have and whether they reject blood transfusions, say sources from the center, based at Wolong Nature Reserve.

Initial studies have found that pandas do have different blood types, but researchers have not yet conducted in-depth studies, said the center's deputy chief engineer, Huang Yan.

They will survey the blood types of all 81 pandas in the center, and collect and store samples so as to be better prepared for the future protection and rescue of wild pandas.

As in operations on humans, blood transfusions for pandas can improve their immunity and accelerate the process of recovery much more quickly than the injections of glucose and drugs currently used, Huang said.

"Pandas have at least two blood types. If pandas of different blood types need transfusions, a blood bank is needed," he said.

Researchers are studying the two known blood types, temporarily named Blood Type One and Blood Type Two.

In order to breed them, they often have to rely on artificial methods as well as natural reproduction. This means they have to use blood tests to identify paternity and so avoid inbreeding.

Once the blood bank is established, this will be simplified by being able to test samples from the bank instead of getting new ones directly from the pandas.

In addition, it will be important in furthering the study of pandas' genetic diversity and DNA, Huang said.

The center will use liquid nitrogen to store the blood at temperatures below minus 100 degrees Centigrade, at which it can be kept for at least a year.

The panda breeding lab in the center has collected more than 200 milliliters of blood from 10 pandas in Wolong.

(China Daily January 28, 2005)