Captive-bred giant pandas to go native
Source: Xinhua |
June 11, 2010, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINESE zoologists hope a plan to gradually release captive-bred giant pandas into the wild will reduce the risk of inbreeding among the animals' wild partners.
"To maintain the genetic diversity of the rare species, we plan to release healthy, smart and adaptable pandas into the wild after strict selection and years of training," said Li Desheng, deputy director of the Wolong China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Sichuan.
The separation of habitats, resulting from human activities, had fragmented the wild population of giant pandas, which could limit mating alternatives, Li said.
"Inbreeding could reduce the genetic diversity of the rare animal," said Wei Rongping, another panda specialist.
Construction began last month on a research center at a cost of 60 million yuan (US$8.78 million) to train giant pandas born in captivity to survive in the wild.
The center will accommodate a first batch of three to five giant pandas after construction is completed in three to five years, said Zhang Zhihe, head of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and founder of the center.
The giant pandas will first be trained to reduce their dependency on humans, while still living in cages. After five to 10 years, the giant pandas that performed well would be introduced into a "half-natural" zone. For five to 10 years, those pandas would live in tree hollows or caves and forage for food, but still participate in artificial breeding.
Only one or two pandas would then have the chance to spend another five to 10 years in a nearly "natural" zone with little human contact. Then they would be released into the nearby reserve.
"To maintain the genetic diversity of the rare species, we plan to release healthy, smart and adaptable pandas into the wild after strict selection and years of training," said Li Desheng, deputy director of the Wolong China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Sichuan.
The separation of habitats, resulting from human activities, had fragmented the wild population of giant pandas, which could limit mating alternatives, Li said.
"Inbreeding could reduce the genetic diversity of the rare animal," said Wei Rongping, another panda specialist.
Construction began last month on a research center at a cost of 60 million yuan (US$8.78 million) to train giant pandas born in captivity to survive in the wild.
The center will accommodate a first batch of three to five giant pandas after construction is completed in three to five years, said Zhang Zhihe, head of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and founder of the center.
The giant pandas will first be trained to reduce their dependency on humans, while still living in cages. After five to 10 years, the giant pandas that performed well would be introduced into a "half-natural" zone. For five to 10 years, those pandas would live in tree hollows or caves and forage for food, but still participate in artificial breeding.
Only one or two pandas would then have the chance to spend another five to 10 years in a nearly "natural" zone with little human contact. Then they would be released into the nearby reserve.
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