China's giant panda population could be at risk as their favourite food, arrow bamboo, is on the verge of flowering and withering away. The China Daily newspaper says some pandas will be moved to new habitats because of the food shortage. This report from Louisa Lim:

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China's giant pandas have long been threatened with extinction, suffering from low birth rates and human encroachment on their habitat. Now they are facing a new threat - starvation. China's state-run media says their favourite food, arrow bamboo, is beginning to die off. It is part of a cycle that happens every sixty years and the new crop will take around ten years to mature. Last time the bamboo bloomed was in the 1980s and then around two hundred and fifty giant pandas died of starvation.

Now at least one nature reserve is trying to move those animals at risk into new habitats or find them new sources of food. In another blow for the giant panda, it is being reported that the endangered Tibetan antelope is being tipped as China's Olympic mascot, ahead of the panda. One official was even quoted as lobbying for the antelope because it is more sporty than the other contenders. But panda supporters are holding out hope that Beijing's Olympic emblem could be composed of more than one animal.

Louisa Lim, BBC, Beijing

Escute as palavras

threatened with extinction
ameaçados de extinção.

human encroachment on their habitat
humanos ocupando áreas que eram ambientes naturais dos pandas.

starvation
inanição.

a cycle
ciclo.

at risk
em perigo.

blow
revés.

is being tipped as
é provável que seja.

mascot
mascote.

lobbying for
fazendo campanha por.

emblem
emblema.