The habitat of the critically-endangered giant panda is expanding in southwest China's Sichuan Province, a local publicity official said on Monday.

About two weeks ago, a giant panda was seen in Luding county of Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze, a spokesman of the prefecture's publicity department said at a press conference.

Though giant pandas were reported several times in the county since the early 1990s, they were always seen on the east bank of the Dadu River. The newly detected animal, however, was the first one seen roaming on the west bank, the official said.

"Obviously, the habitat of giant pandas is expanding across theriver," he said.

Dai Lin, a local farmer, called the county's forestry bureau inmid October, claiming he had witnessed a giant panda close to his home in Detuo village, west of the river.

In a subsequent field survey, forestry officials collected samples of animal's fur and droppings and took photos of the site. Lab work proved the droppings were left by a giant panda who had dined on cornstalk.

To collect further evidence, the forestry bureau sent two villagers on a second survey and told them to take photos of the giant panda whenever possible.

The pictures they took have been verified by the provincial wildlife preservation office, the publicity official said.

Pandas are among the world's most endangered wild animals and are found only in China. A forestry report released in 2004 says there are 1,590 giant pandas living in the wild and another 161 are kept in captivity in zoos worldwide.

Wild pandas mainly live in mountainous areas in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces.

(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2005)