Giant pandas in Chengdu, capital of southeast Sichuan Province and home to the rare species, have kept cool, by staying in air-conditioned rooms.
According to Li Guanghan, director of the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Center, giant pandas used to live in temperate climate and 3,200-3,500 meters above sea level 3 million years ago. Although the artificial feeding animals have become accustomed to staying in the plain climate, they report a low appetite and unstable healthy conditions in the summer.
Due to lack of funds, the center could only provide electric fans and ice for pandas when the temperature rose above 30 degrees Celsius, said Li.
This year, the center has scraped together 5 million yuan (US$602,000) to build 10 delivery rooms for pregnant pandas and installed 35 air conditioners. “The temperature keeps at around 25 degrees Celsius,” Li said.
The giant panda is on the verge of extinction. There are about 1,000 pandas in the world, most of which live in China. About 100 pandas are bred by artificial insemination or through artificial breeding programs.
(Xinhua News Agency 07/18/2001)
