Court established for giant panda protection

Authorities in southwest China have established a special court for the protection of giant pandas.

The country's first court of the Giant Panda National Park was unveiled on Friday in the Wolong national nature reserve, Sichuan Province.

The court is part of efforts to build a judicial service system suitable for the protection of endangered species and the ecological environment, and the development of tourism, said Wang Shujiang, head of the Sichuan Provincial Higher People's Court.

The court will help reduce environmental crimes targeting giant pandas, Wang said.