Chinese officials say all 86 giant pandas at the Wolong Nature Reserve are safe following the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck central China on Monday. Earlier today, the BBC reported that officials had lost all lines of communication with the reserve, but forestry officials later said that the pandas have been moved to safety.

The Wolong Nature Reserve

The Wolong Nature Reserve is the world’s premiere conservation, research, and breeding center for giant pandas. It is located near the quake’s epicenter, north-west of Sichuan’s provincial capital, Chengdu. Each year, the reserve draws tens of thousands of tourists eager for a glimpse of one of the world’s most endangered species. Experts estimate that only 1,600 pandas exist in the wild, while about 200 live in captivity, many of them at Wolong.

The Wolong reserve is renown for its use of artificial insemination to boost the declining panda population. Two years ago, Unesco declared the Wolong Reserve a World Heritage Site, praising it as “the largest remaining contiguous habitat of the giant panda, and the species’ most important site for captive breeding.”

The Panda Baby

In late August of 1999, scientists at the San Diego Zoo marked a rare event they had struggled for years to bring about: the birth of a giant panda outside of China. To get there, they had worked extensively with researchers at China’s Wolong Preserve. To learn more about the aggressive efforts scientists are making to save the giant panda, visit “The Panda Baby” at Nature online for video, photos, and reports about giant pandas.

China quake updates

Get the latest news from China as the death toll mounts and rescue workers dig to reach tens of thousands buried in the rubble.