When a 7.8 earthquake struck China On May the 8th 2008, it caused wild spread destruction to people and buildings. It also killed two captive pandas (Mao Mao killed in her enclosure under a falling wall, and Xiao Xiao escaped and is presumed dead).

Of the remaining 61 Pandas there were at Wolong on the day all but seven were transferred to other centres with a large number going to Bifeng Xia (Where I spent my time volunteering in Septemeber 2008).

Once pandas and staff were all safe, the long process of creating a new Wolong Breeding Centre begun. The re-building is well on it's way and is still on schedule to open before the end of 2012.

The new centre will be located in Shenshuping, Gengda township. It will have 23 zones in the surrounding mountains outside the enclosed area where wild training programs have already started to be carried out.

It is expected that the new Centre will cost 300 million yuan ($45.87 million , £27.67 million).

Wolong is responsible for 165 giant pandas, including 82 that are currently at Bifeng Xia and the rest in zoos China and other countries around the world.