Beijing (PTI): China's most famous conservation and research centre for giant Pandas would be relocated following the damage caused by the devastating earthquake in Sichuan province and the potential risks of landslides from it, a top official said.

Wolong Nature Reserve, the world's best known panda breeding base which is home to more than 150 giant pandas, suffered severe damage from the magnitude 8 quake of May 12, which also killed five staffers at the base.

"We will build shelters, a panda research centre and a breeding centre at a new site because of safety concerns", Li Desheng, Vice-Director of the Conservation and Research Centre of the Wolong Nature Reserve for endangered Giant pandas said.

The new centre would however still be located within the Wolong Nature Reserve, deep in the hills north of Chengdu, the provincial capital of quake-ravaged Sichuan, whose humid climate was suitable for bamboo, pandas' favourite food, state-run Xinhua news agency said.

He said security and climatic factors, including its ecological sustainability and the location of water source and bamboo forests would be factored in while choosing the new site.

The quake had destroyed 32 panda pens in Wolong and damaged the rest. Two pandas were hurt by the quake and one was still missing.

Li said an expert team had advised against rebuilding the damaged low-lying panda shelters and research centre at the existing site as aftershocks might bring secondary disasters, including landslides.