First College for Study of Giant Pandas Opens in China - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The first college dedicated to the study of giant pandas has been opened in southwest China's Sichuan Province, with a national panda park to be built on its foundation, a Chinese newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The panda college was established under a joint project between China West Normal University (CWNU), the Sichuan Forestry and Grassland Administration and provides a platform for scientific research, study of giant pandas. The second largest national panda park is planned to be established on the basis of the college in order to preserve the panda population.

"China's first field survey on giant pandas, the world's first wild giant panda observation station, China's first international cooperation in wildlife conservation, as well as the first comprehensive academic monograph on giant pandas, have all been accomplished by experts from CWNU," the university's Party head Wang Yuanjun was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

The giant panda is an unofficial symbol of China. In July 2021, the Chinese authorities announced that giant pandas are no longer an endangered species in the country, as their wild population has exceeded 1,800 individuals over the past decade.