A study led by Weihua Xu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beigjin has found that in the area he studied more than 23% (354 sq km) of the pandas habitat has been destroyed, with much f the rest fragmented or damaged.

The research team used satellite imagery from September 2007 and July 2008, field observations and published research to measure the forest cover in the south Minshan region, close to the centre of the quake. From these measurements they were able to calculate how much of the forest has been destroyed.

“The giant panda population inhabiting this region could already be as low as 35 individuals. This extra isolation increases their risk of extinction in the wild, due in part to a higher likelihood of inbreeding,” he said.