The Foping State Nature Preserve, known as the "wildlife kingdom" in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, has launched a general survey on the giant pandas, one of the world's most endangered species.

This is the third large scale survey on giant pandas in China. And new measures to protect the rare animals shall be worked out based on the survey. The first two surveys were conducted in the 1960s and the 1980s respectively.

The current survey, which covers 29,000 hectares of land in the nature preserve, is focusing on the number of giant pandas living in the reserve, their habitats and living conditions.

Foping County, located on the southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains and covered in dense forest, has 433 kinds of wild animals, including 11 species under top state protection. Bamboo, the favorite food of the giant pandas, cover half of the total area in the preserve.

(Xinhua 12/05/2000)