In the Sichuan province of China thousands of people will be relocated in order for a panda bear reservation to be built.

While the actual number of individuals being displaced has yet to be accurately reported, it is estimated between 170,000 and 200,000 people. 

The reservation named the "Giant Panda National Park" will cover 10,500 square miles across the Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi provinces.

This approval of this project is said to be long overdue since human disturbance has been the leading threat to the panda populations. Their logging and mining practices have caused issues with the pandas' main source of food which has ultimately led to their demise.

Luckily, the focus of this park is on not only protecting the wildlife but also restoring their habitats. When the habitat is restored it will provide the pandas with a safe space, the ability to travel and mate with other panda species from different locations, and there will be plenty of food available to help them thrive.

The panda reserve is only one of several reservations planned for China. Another planned park will sprawl across the northeastern corner of the country and will protect the Amur leopard and the Siberian tiger (also known as the Amur tiger). It will be smaller than the panda reserve with a span of 5,600 square miles but will be one of the biggest cat reserves in the world.

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Sources: Huffington Post, Travel & Leisure, & Travelers Today

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