Pandas at the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Wolong, southwest China's Sichuan Province, will soon be moved into habitats that are not only larger but also more interesting than their previous ones.

Wei Rongping, assistant to the director of the center, said they had been building seven new habitats with a floor space ranging from 400 sq m to 600 sq m at a cost of 4.26 million yuan (about US$513,253) since last October, and construction would be completed by late April.

Each of the new habitats will consist of one interior shelter and one garden with trees, ponds, man-made hills and other wooden structures for pandas to exercise, said Wei.

At present, one giant panda usually has only 100 sq m of space, including one interior section and one open-air field where the environment is dull. The pandas roam idly, shaking their heads and sometimes even throwing themselves against the fence as a result of growing psychological pressure.

Wei believed the new habitats, with larger floor space and a richer environment, would help alleviate the psychological pressure on giant pandas in captivity and improve their sight, hearing, and even thought processes.

When the new habitats are finished, giant pandas, including Huamei, the American-born giant panda that was returned to China on Feb. 12, will all be placed in the habitats by turns and live there for one month, said Wei.

The China Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Center owns 76 giant pandas. Apart from 20 giant pandas on lease, including 13 leased overseas, there are now only 30 giant pandas in captivity at the Wolong center, and the remaining 26 have been moved to the Bifeng Gorge Base in Ya'an, also in Sichuan Province, to make way for construction of the new habitats.

(Xinhua News Agency March 17, 2004)