The problem is at its most serious in Gansu province in the country's northwest, where new highways have separated the local panda population of 100 into five different habitats, the China Daily reported.

This could spell doom for the Gansu panda, since research shows groups of fewer than 50 animals will sooner or later die out as inbreeding weakens their reproductive ability, according to the paper.

Conservationists are scratching their heads to come up with a solution, and some have suggested tunnels under the highways or even special traffic controls to allow pandas to pass from one habitat to the other, the paper said.

The Chinese are fighting an uphill battle to preserve the giant panda, partly because of the furry animal's notorious lack of interest in sex.

As of the end of 2004 China had raised about 160 giant pandas in captivity, while almost 1,500 of the rare animals were believed to be living in the wild in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces.

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