Beijing to open conservation base for giant pandas in 2025
Beijing is set to open a conservation base for giant pandas in 2025, housing dozens of the animals, TASS reports
According to Xinhua News Agency, a new conservation facility covering an area of about 133 hectares is planned to be built and equipped in Beijing’s southwestern district Fangshan.
It is noted that the base will also be home to red (lesser) pandas and golden snub-nosed monkeys and, in the long term, it is planned to house up to 50 giant pandas. Moreover, a specialised cultural exchange centre is to be created to promote co-operation in the field of wildlife protection.
The panda is an unofficial symbol of the People's Republic of China and is under state protection. In natural conditions, it lives mainly in the mountainous regions of Sichuan Province in the southwest of the country, where vast bamboo forests have been preserved. It is specified that about 2,000 of these animals live in the wild. In addition, about 670 pandas are kept in nurseries and zoos around the world.
