Contest to name four male panda cubs launched

CHENGDU -- A contest to name four panda cubs was launched by China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda and the city government of Dujiangyan, in Southwest China's Sichuan province on Tuesday.

Fans from around the world can suggest names for four male pandas born at the center last year using social media platform WeChat.

Organizers will shortlist 20 names from public submissions and allow the public to vote to choose the four winners. The process will take around one month.

Participants can win prizes such as trips to well-known scenic areas or panda parks in Sichuan, including flights, hotels, and entrance tickets.

Giant pandas are listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Official data showed that as of the end of 2013, there were fewer than 2,000 pandas living in the wild, mainly in the mountains of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces.