Conservationists hope the arrival of eight of the young animals at Beijing zoo will highlight the damage caused to their habitat and encourage donations to the renowned Wolong reserve, close to the epicentre of the shock and badly hit by the disaster.
The earthquake killed four staff members and left a fifth seriously ill in hospital, officials said yesterday. Other workers risked their lives to fetch the tiniest cubs from the breeding centre and carry them to safety.
"When we saw the rock slides we were really worried," said Lu Yong, who has helped to care for the animals from birth and travelled to Beijing with them. "In a disaster the first thing we think of is the pandas and how to get them to safety. They were very scared and disturbed when the earthquake happened. They needed support from their keepers before they would eat again."
He added: "We talk to the pandas and play with them - that helps give them psychological support."
Wang Pengyan, the deputy chief of the reserve, said the animals' appetite was back to normal - 10-18kg (22-40lb) of bamboo a day, plus milk, carrots, apples and steamed buns.
There's a photo gallery here.
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