BEIJING (AFP) - Panda lovers around the world will be able to watch live 24-hour Internet broadcasts of the iconic Chinese animals from next month, state media reported on Sunday.

The "Giant panda channel" will start broadcasts from August of pandas in Sichuan province, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing an announcement by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

A total of 28 high definition video cameras will capture the activities of the pandas living at the base, the report said. More than 80 giant pandas reside there, it added.

People accessing the site at ipanda.com will be able to choose from six different categories, including "garden for adult pandas", "kindergarten" and "mother and child", the report stated.

According to Xinhua, the website began test-posting videos in late June and subsequently saw almost 15,000 Internet users access the site and leave comments.

Fewer than 1,600 pandas remain in the wild, mainly in Sichuan, with around 300 in captivity around the world, the majority in China.