Release into the wild for panda pair
Print Edition
Chinese researchers plan to release two giant pandas into the wild this month under a program to help rebuild the population of wild pandas.
Bred in captivity, the pair of male and female pandas have been trained in Wolong for two years to survive in the wild, said the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.
Ba Xi, the male panda, was born on July 26, 2015. Ying Xue, the female panda, is 14 days older than Ba Xi.
At a meeting organized by the State Forestry Bureau this month, researchers agreed that the pair were in good health and had developed the ability to live independently in the wild.
They will be the second pair of pandas to be released into the wild.
Last October, 3-year-old Hua Yan and 2-year-old Zhang Meng, also bred in captivity, were released in the Liziping Nature Reserve in Sichuan. Researchers have decided that Ba Xi and Ying Xue will also be released there.
Last year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature reclassified the giant panda species as “vulnerable,” rather than “endangered,” thanks to decades of conservation efforts.
Worldwide, the population of captive giant pandas has grown to 520, said the Chinese Committee of Breeding Techniques for Giant Pandas. But the population lack genetic diversity.
China plans to create national parks for giant pandas, and to release more of them into the wild, as well as furthering scientific research.
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