Reports are coming in about plans to hold the 4th panda Census. The information collected will help to plan how best to help pandas in the wild in the future.

Surveys have been taken in China since the 1970's. The last survey revealed that china has a total of 1,596 pandas including 1,200 in Sichuan. Another smaller study using DNA profiling of panda poo collected hinted that the number could actually be twice this.

The new study will use DNA testing as this provides a more accurate number.