Beijing: A Taiwan-based billionaire has adopted six pandas from a breeding centre in southwest China paying USD 857,143 for one of the world's most endangered animal in the largest-ever donation to the centre.

Terry Guo, ranked 160 in the March 6 version of the Forbes list of the worlds richest billionaires with a net worth of USD 6.1 billion, visited the breeding base in Sichuan province today and adopted three pairs of panda cubs.

The average annual cost of raising a panda is USD 7,500 approximately, the breeding centre Director Zhang Zhihe said. Guos donation would be used to raise six pandas at a time.

The donation would entitle Guo, Chairman of Hon Hai Precision Industry Company Ltd, to visit the six pandas anytime and an adoption billboard with his name would be installed beside the pandas home, official Xinhua news agency said.

Zhang said Guos was the largest donation the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Centre has received since it was founded in 1987.

The adopted pandas are Yanyan (swallow), Tingting (beauty), Xiangxiang (flying), Xinxin (happy), Fufu (fortune) and Kangkang (health).

As the habitat of sex-shy pandas is shrinking, China is building the worlds largest panda breeding base in Sichuan as part of its efforts to increase their population.

President Hu Jintao, ahead of his five-day Japan visit beginning tomorrow said, China was actively considering a joint panda research with the country.

About 1,590 pandas are believed to be living in wilderness in China while 239 are in captivity.

The low birth rate among pandas and low survival rate of new born cubs are threatening the survival of Chinas icon.

Source : PTI