A wild giant panda was found dead in a conservation zone in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Friday. Local police have ruled out hunting as the cause of death after examination of the site and of infrared camera footage.

The Shaanxi Forestry Police said the dead panda was found by a staffer of the Huayang conservation station on a rocky beach of the Chaijiawan river during a regular patrol in the Giant Panda National Park.

According to the examination on the site, the panda's body was badly decomposed with part of the fur missing and internal organs completely decayed. The police estimated the death of the animal was 20 days ago.

The police ruled out hunting as the cause of death after finding no firearm injuries on the panda or human traces and blood in the surrounding area. They also checked the photos which were taken within the previous month by all the infrared cameras in the area within five kilometers. The decease of the panda was preliminary ruled as natural death.

The panda's body has been taken to the Huayang conservation station for further treatment due to the advanced state of decomposition.

The Giant Panda National Park hosts 1,631 wild pandas, which account for more than 70 percent of the wild giant pandas in the country. It spans over three provinces, including Southwest China's Sichuan and Northwest China's Gansu and Shaanxi, with an area of 27,134 square kilometers.