Though relentless downpours have caused continuous miseries for the country, it has brought smiles to the faces of the workers in a giant panda research center in northwest China, as the three giant pandas in the facility withstood being tested by the recent torrential rains.

"They appeared calm and clever in the face of the heavy rains. They climbed up hills and trees or hid themselves under the trees to avoid the rains." said Pu Zhiyong, a panda keeper from the Qinling Giant Panda Research Center in Foping Natural Reserve of Foping County, Shaanxi Province, on Friday.

Foping County has been pounded by the heaviest round of torrential rain this year, lasting from July 16 to July 25.

"It was the first time for the pandas to withstand such severe downpours since they were released from cages into the open 10 months ago. Their ability to avoid the rains adds to their chance to survive in the wild," said Wu Yanfeng, an official with the publicity department of Foping County government.

The research center was established in September 2009 to train pandas to live in the wild. The center, which is still under construction, is expected to become home to 45 pandas once completed in 2012, said Wu Yanfeng.

The female pandas, Chengcheng and Dabao, and the male, Abao, were discovered two years ago, sick and wounded in a forest in Foping County.

"We don't know their ages for sure, but the experts estimate that they are about 4 years old now," said Pu Zhiyong.

After being kept in cages in a wild animal rescue center in nearby Zhouzhi County for one year, the pandas were transferred to the research center for reintroduction experiments.

They have since been learning how to build a den, forage for food and defend themselves against natural extremes in the open-air facility at the research center, according to Wu Yanfeng.

"Under our training, their legs have become stronger by the day. They go to drink the spring water by themselves and they know how to take a bath in the spring. When we give them physical checkups, they even stretch out their arms to get bled." said Pu Zhiyong, the panda keeper.

Nestled on the southern slope of the Qinling Mountains, Foping Natural Reserve boasts well-preserved forests, which make an ideal natural habitat for wildlife such as pandas, golden monkeys and budorcas.

It is estimated that there are currently about 130 wild Qinling pandas living in the forests, some 35 percent of the total in the Qinling mountainous region, said Wu Yanfeng.

The Qinling giant panda is a subspecies of giant panda which was recognized in 2005.

It differs from the more familiar Sichuan subspecies by its smaller and rounder skull, shorter snout and fuller fur, according to Yong Yange, a panda expert in Shaanxi.

"The Sichuan panda looks more like bear, while the Qinling panda is more like cat, which is much cuter." said Wu Yanfeng.

The Qinling panda is also known for its brown fur. Researchers discovered a brown panda cub in the Qinling Mountains in November 2009, which was the fifth brown panda ever found.

The Qinling subspecies is restricted to the Qinling Mountains. There are an estimated 200 to 300 Qinling Pandas living in the wild, which is smaller in number than other pandas.

Giant pandas are among the world's most endangered species. Some 1,600 pandas live in the wild, while more than 300 pandas are raised in captivity in China.

The Qinling research center is one of the two giant panda training projects seeking to boost the number of pandas in the wild. The other center is Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in Sichuan Province, which was begun in 2003.

However, the Sichuan project suffered a major setback when Xiangxiang, a male panda who had been trained for three years, was found dead in a remote part of the Wolong Nature Reserve in 2007, a year after he had been released into the wild.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2010)