The fate of more than 100 giant pandas at a nature reserve in Gansu remained unclear yesterday, two weeks after the quake struck neighbouring Sichuan .
Not a single panda has been seen by inspectors at the Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve in Gansu's Wen county, the world's biggest panda reserve, according to reserve director Li Shiren .
Mr Li said the animals were easy to find before the May 12 quake.
The county is about 200km from the epicentre, and suffered 111 deaths and more than 1,000 injuries during the massive tremor.
The reserve is one of three nationally designated zones set aside for panda protection and was home to 102 pandas in 2003.
Mr Li said the quake triggered many landslides in the reserve, and most of the roads built last year to monitor the animals were damaged.
Xinhua yesterday quoted the reserve's director, Huang Huali , as saying the condition of the pandas was unclear and the staff could not risk the danger of frequent aftershocks to check on them.