The animals are now settling in at the Wolong Natural Reserve Center

Oct 31, 2012 14:07 GMT  ·  By
Giant pandas return to their home 4 years after a major earthquake chased them away
   Giant pandas return to their home 4 years after a major earthquake chased them away

Back in May 2008, a major earthquake hit China's Sichuan Province and ended up killing about 68,000 people.

In the aftermath of this catastrophe, several giant panda bears had to be relocated, simply because their natural habitats were destroyed.

18 of these giant pandas have now returned to their home in the Wolong Natural Reserve Center, which will eventually house 59 such animals.

Sources inform us that the giant pandas that are to call this wildlife park their new home will enter various breeding programs, whose goal will be that of upping the overall headcount for this endangered species.

For the time being, the pandas keep themselves busy by playing with each other, chewing on relatively large amounts of bamboo and getting as much sleep as their hearts desire.

Apparently, the staff at this wildlife park even went through the trouble of setting up a welcome ceremony for these furry new arrivals.