Chinese authorities say preparations for China's giant panda national park are well underway.

China plans to build a unified system of national parks across the country for wildlife conservation by 2020. Currently, pilot projects of ten parks have already begun.

The giant panda national park covers 27,134 square kilometers in three provinces – Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi in the west of the country.

The Sichuan provincial forestry and grassland administration said Friday it is carrying out surveys to mark the border of the park. Roughly 1,200 wild giant pandas now live in the park's area in Sichuan.

The park is expected to unify the 46 giant panda natural reserves of various sizes in Sichuan for better conservation efforts.

Factories and other infrastructure that fail to meet conservation targets will gradually be phased out from the park, according to the authorities.

The park will also help promote scientific research in the treasured animal.

The number of captive pandas was put at 548 globally last November. Fewer than 2,000 live in the wild, mostly in the provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi.

(Cover image via VCG)

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com)