China plans giant preserve for giant panda

China plans to create a preserve for the giant panda that will be three times the size of the US's Yellowstone National Park.

The Xinhua News Agency says the preserve will incorporate parts of three western provinces to provide an unbroken range for the endangered animals, where they can meet and mate in the interests of enriching their gene pool.

About 170,000 people will have to be moved elsewhere to make way for the 27,134sqkm preserve.

Giant pandas are China's unofficial national mascot and live mainly in the mountains of Sichuan, with some in neighbouring Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.

An estimated 1864 live in the wild and another 200 are in captivity.