Playful pandas receive new names

Feb. 10 - Eighteen panda cubs living in south-western China's Wolong Nature Reserve were named at an official ceremony.

The Conservation Centre for Giant Pandas in Wolong asked the public to name these endangered and much adored animals.

About 30,000 entries were submitted via e-mail, telephone, fax and SMS.

Names such as 'Tao Tao' - meaning 'playful' in Mandarin, or 'Huan Huan - meaning 'happiness' in Mandarin, were among the most popular and were announced as the winning entries.

The giant panda is one of the world's most endangered species and is found only in China.

An estimated 1,600 wild pandas live in nature reserves in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, with 217 kept in captivity.