Panda house opens in NE China

DALIAN - A panda house accommodating three giant pandas opened Saturday in Northeast China's Liaoning province, becoming the region's first center for panda breeding and exhibition.

The house is located in the Dalian Forest Zoo of Dalian city, a zoo spokesman said.

The house's three giant pandas include two females (named Fei Yun and Cai Zhen, respectively), as well as a male named Jin Hu, the spokesman said.

The pandas were brought to the house from the Bifengxia Panda Base at the China Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Southwest China's Sichuan province.

The Sichuan base has dispatched keepers to help the pandas better adapt to their new environment, the spokesman said, adding that the pandas are in good shape.

Giant pandas are among the world's most endangered species. According to the State Forestry Administration, about 1,600 pandas currently live in the wild, mostly in the mountains of Sichuan, while more than 300 live in captivity.