An injured wild giant panda in northwest China's Shaanxi Province is in critical condition and facing a very difficult recovery after an apparent fall into a river ravine, experts said Thursday.

 

The wild giant panda has fractures to the skull and legs and chest injuries. Its internal organs are also damaged, said Ma Qingyi, a veterinarian with the provincial rare animal rescue center.

 

The panda was found lying near a river by tourists last Saturday at a scenic spot of the Heihe Forest Park in Zhouzhi County, about 80 km southwest of the provincial capital Xi'an.

 

The animal was taken to the Xijing Hospital in Xi'an Saturday afternoon where it was examined. It is now receiving treatment at the wild animal rescue center, according to Ma.

 

"We are not able to perform surgery," said Ma, adding that there is no panda blood available that would allow them to operate on the animal.

 

On Tuesday night the panda began to take some food including specially prepared milk, said Ma.

 

A census in 2002 showed that there were 1,596 wild giant pandas living across China, mainly in the more than 40 nature reserves in Shaanxi, Sichuan and Gansu provinces.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 7, 2006)