Someone's watching over their bamboo patch at Wolong reserve

Life should soon become easier for a group of wild pandas who have had to compete with people for their beloved supply of bamboo shoots.

The Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan province has launched patrols to stop local farmers from harvesting bamboo shoots - the main food for pandas during their mating season.

Covering 200,000 hectares, the reserve yields less than 1.5 million kilograms of shoots a year.