Wolong handlers trying to rescue more than a dozen cubs were forced to climb a wooden ladder out of the reserve to a bridge—gripping the babies in their arms—after the center's entrance was blocked by a landslide, Brody told National Geographic News.
The cubs were evacuated to Shawan, a settlement about 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) away. (Watch an exclusive video of the cubs being evacuated.)
The rescue was complicated because some of the adult pandas were in what the Chinese call their "falling in love period," being particularly excitable and prone to attack, reserve researcher Heng Yi told Wu for the article.
"Clearly the earthquake coming at the start of breeding season is going to be disruptive to this year's reproduction cycle, and they're not going to have as many babies," USCEF's Brody said.
Some pandas have been moved to another breeding center in the Sichuan capital, Chengdu, and eight were flown to Beijing last weekend for a previously scheduled six-month stay at the Beijing Zoo for the Olympics.
Silver Lining
Brody said relocating the pandas would be a preventive measure in the event another aftershock might close roadways and block delivery supplies from the west.
"The reason the move is being evaluated is for the certainty of the pandas safety and welfare, and measures have to be taken so that a reliable food supply can be maintained under emergency conditions," he said.
Meanwhile, any move of the Wolong center has to wait for a damage assessment by geologists, Zhang, the reserve's chief, said.
A state-run news agency also reported Thursday that another panda reserve, China's largest, has had to call off patrols and its annual panda census because of the quake's aftershocks.
The disaster does have a silver lining, Brody said: It "reinforces the necessity to rethink the infrastructure and strategies for breeding pandas in captivity."
Brody said one future model would be to place panda centers in mountainous areas with an abundant supply of bamboo and water, so that the captive animals could essentially live in their natural habitat.
Christine Dell'Amore of National Geographic News contributed to this report.
