Beijing (AP) China says at least 80 percent of the habitat for giant pandas in china's earthquake-hit province is damaged or destroyed.

A spokesman says china's May 12th quake devastated a vast area of wild habitat for endangered species, including the giant panda.

The panda is revered as a national symbol in China, where about 1,600 pandas live in the wild. Another 180 have been bred in captivity.

The earthquake also badly damaged forestry resources in the affected areas. Direct economic losses to the forestry business were $3.3 billion and 232 forestry workers were killed.