BEIJING China's main giant panda breeding center has launched a fresh appeal for money to sustain its program for one of the world's most endangered animals, the China Daily reported on Friday. It said the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base in the southwestern province of Sichuan wanted 11 giant pandas, including twins just born eight months ago, to be adopted, it said.

"A panda needs between 40,000 and 50,000 yuan ($4,800 and $6,000) a year for living expenses and medical fees. The base is short of funds so it has decided to look for adopters," it quoted the center's director, Li Guanghan, as saying. He said an individual or organization adopting a panda could name it and receive an adoption certificate. They would receive a letter every six months on the panda's health and could visit the animal at any time, Li said.

In September 1993, Taiwan popsinger tong ange became the Since 1993, 13 pandas have been adopted, most of them by people from Taiwan, Hongkong, Thailand, Japan and the United States. Fewer than 1,000 pandas are now left worldwide and all of them are in China. The Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base is the only organization in the world specializing in the research of the giant panda and currently is home to 27 of them, the China Daily said.

(Reuter)