Pandas gain World Heritage status

A mountain sanctuary in China which is home to about a third of the world's giant panda population has been designated a World Heritage site.

The region in Sichuan province, with an area of more than 9,000 sq km (3,475 sq miles) can now qualify for aid to help manage and protect the pandas.

Giant pandas are one of the world's most endangered species. A Unesco spokesperson said they must be protected. Gaining world heritage status means the Chinese authorities are obliged to protect the bamboo-covered mountainous area.

The move was welcomed by Chinese conservationists. "To protect an animal is not just putting it living in the zoo, but keeping it alive in its home," Lu Zhi, a panda specialist at Beijing University told China's official Xinhua news agency.

The sanctuaries are also home to other endangered animals such as the red panda, the snow leopard and the clouded leopard. Giant pandas are one of the world's most endangered species. Only about 1,600 remain in the wild, with another 180 living in captivity.

Adapted from BBC Online, July 2006

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