Wild panda sightings spark hope of recovery

Wild pandas have been spotted three times at the foot of Jiajin Mountain in Sichuan province since July last year, which conservationists attribute to improvements in the ecological health of the area.

Patrolling the mountain at around 8:40 am on Saturday, Chen Min, an employee of the Jiajin Mountain Forestry Bureau in Ya'an, Sichuan, saw two adult wild pandas walking leisurely along National Highway 351.

"One disappeared into the forest soon after it saw me. The other kept walking slowly and was not intimidated even when my automobile was nearby," he said.