Guest guest Posted April 29, 2006 Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK128468.htm China releases captive-raised panda into wild 28 Apr 2006 07:10:32 GMT Source: Reuters BEIJING, April 28 (Reuters) - China has introduced a captive-bred giant panda into the wild after implanting it with a global positioning system (GPS) device, the official Xinhua agency reported on Friday. The release of the panda -- a world first -- came after nearly three years of training the animal at a research institute in the southwestern province of Sichuan. Scientists spent four hours hunting down Xiang Xiang, the four-year-old male panda, in its huge 20,000 square metre (215,000 square foot) open-air enclosure, the Beijing News said. Following tests, he was given a clean bill of health and declared fit for release. The panda is very tough, healthy and has learnt how to build shelters, forage for food, mark his territory and ward off aggressors, the Beijing News quoted Zhang Hemin, director of the Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Centre, as saying. Its release has been timed to coincide with the high season for bamboo shoots in the Sichuan highlands, which will make it easier for the bear to feed, Zhang said. The giant panda is one of the world's most endangered species and is found only in China. An estimated 1,000 pandas live in China's Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. Dermott O'Gorman, country representative for environmental group WWF China, was guarded about Xiang Xiang's prospects. " It's certainly a significant event, " said O'Gorman. " But once it's in the wild it's going to have deal with all the problems that wild pandas have to deal with ... There is certainly a number of unknowns. " China's has raised 103 giant pandas in captive breeding -- nearly half the world's total -- and spent $12.5 million training pandas for release into the wild since 2003, according to Xinhua. But training pandas is not the solution, said O'Gorman. " Captive breeding can be quite expensive and there are many risks, " he said. " What is needed is a comprehensive programme implemented by the government and local people that protects nature reserves, green corridors and ensures that panda habitats and local people can co-exist. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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