(CN) Pandas not to be bamboozled by new blossom

[Guest guest]

China Daily http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/hn.html

08/21/2001

 

Widespread blossoming of " arrow bamboo, " a variety of the bamboo plant that

takes decades to regenerate but is unique food for giant pandas, is not

likely to result in the extinction of the treasured species, an expert has

claimed.

Zhang Hemin, an expert in panda research, made his remarks after fears of a

repeat of previous blooms which were linked to hundreds of deaths.

 

" The blossom of arrow bamboo could bring about periodic food shortages for

giant pandas but degeneration or extinction of the population because of

this is not likely to happen, " Zhang said.

 

Two destructive flowerings of arrow bamboo over large areas in 1974 and 1983

left 250 pandas dead and threatened the survival of the rest because the

regrowth was too slow to be of use to the existing pandas. Some people fear

that a new growth cycle of the bamboo may trigger another disaster.

 

" We do not want to see history repeat itself, but the periodic blooming of

bamboo is only a law of nature, " Zhang said.

 

Through research, Zhang found out that the blooming period of the arrow

bamboo is around 60 to 80 years. Each time bamboo blooms, it will take 10 to

30 years for new bamboo saplings to grow into bamboo bushes. During that

period, giant pandas' lives are at stake for lack of food.

 

In the history of the giant panda, which can be traced back some 3 million

years, bamboo regeneration must have occurred over 50,000 times. But the

giant pandas still live on, Zhang said.

 

" Therefore, it is unnecessary to concentrate on the calculation of the exact

date of bamboo blossoming. It is more important to create new habitats where

giant pandas can relocate during hard times, " he said.

 

The Chinese Government launched a nationwide project in 1992 to protect

giant pandas and their habitats. Related departments are co-operating with

international organizations in this regard to enhance such efforts.

 

Currently, China has about 1,000 giant pandas in the wild, most of them

living on the mountains around the Sichuan Basin, in Southwest China. The

number of nature reserves for giant pandas in the country has increased from

13 to 27 this year.

 

Xinhua

 

In brief:

CHENGDU

Panda gives birth

Chinese giant panda Yaya gave birth to twin males yesterday morning at a

panda breeding centre in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan

Province. The hairless, pink elder brother is being looked after in a

comfortable pen for infant pandas. Since a panda mother can only feed one

cub at a time, the twins have to be milked in turn, said Li Guanghan,

director of the centre.