Giant Panda to start life in Sichuan wilderness
Print Edition
A giant panda bred in captivity will be released into the wild in southwest China’s Sichuan Province tomorrow, according to a local breeding center of the endangered species.
The 2-year-old female Hua Jiao, the fifth candidate of the country’s program to send artificially bred giant pandas back home, has finished a two-year wilderness training program, said Huang Yan, chief engineer of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda.
Hua Jiao, weighing around 50kg, is the younger sister of Tao Tao, the male panda released into the wild in 2012.
“Hua Jiao has met all wilderness training targets and she is absolutely an A graduate,” said Huang, head of the training.
“We are hoping to introduce more artificially bred pandas into the wild to diversify the gene bank of the local panda community,” he said.
Hua Jiao is currently living in a wilderness training reserve at Tiantai Mountain. She will be released into the Liziping Nature Reserve in Shimian county. Her elder brother Tao Tao was released in the same reserve.
China began releasing captive-bred pandas into the wild in 2006 when Xiang Xiang, a 5-year-old male, was released in Wolong National Nature Reserve. However, Xiang Xiang died roughly a year later after fighting with other pandas over food and territory.
In 2012, 2013 and 2014, three more, Tao Tao (male), Zhang Xiang (female) and Xue Xue (female) were released in the Liziping reserve, but Xue Xue died in November 2014.
“We have taken lessons from Xue Xue’s case. Her parents are both bred in captivity and they lack the experience of surviving in the wild. Apparently, Xue Xue had few wilderness skills. So, this time, we chose Hua Jiao, whose parents are both born and living in the wild. We believe she will do better,” Huang said.
Researchers have been following Tao Tao and Zhang Xiang with the help of GPS collars, radio positioning tools and DNA extracted from their spoor. Monitoring data shows the animals are doing well.
Giant pandas are one of the world’s most endangered species. Fewer than 2,000 pandas live in the wild, mostly in the provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi. There were 375 giant pandas in captivity at the end of 2013, about 200 of them at the center.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
