Beijing, Nov 10: China, home to highly-endangered giant pandas, has built a biscuit factory to cater exclusively the animals held in captivity, a report said today. The addition of biscuits would give the pandas a more healthy choice than the usual steamed bread, the 'china daily' reported.

"The cream-coloured biscuit, made of bamboo, is rich in vitamins and trace elements and the fibre content is up to 30 per cent," the official newspaper quoted panda researcher Yu Jianqiu as saying.

China set up the factory in October and so far 30 pandas had tried and relished the biscuits.

"They seemed to love our new recipe very much as they all have a good appetite for the biscuits. Later, all pandas in captivity across the country will be provided with the new food," Yu said.

Experts estimate that 1,000 giant pandas live in the wild around the Sichuan Basin in southwest China, while about 140 live in captivity around the world.

The staple for captive pandas is usually steamed bread which the researcher said had its drawbacks.


"(it) loses much of its nutritional value in cooking, resulting in malnutrition for many pandas," he said.
China banned logging in panda-inhabited areas in 1998 so as to save the animal cherished as a national treasure. The giant panda is also famous worldwide as a symbol of conservation.

Rearing a giant panda in captivity costs over 40,000 yuan (USD 4,800), the report added.

Bureau Report