Panda News from around the world

4 Pregnant Giant Pandas Leave for WIld Study

2010-Jul-25

The Giant Panda reintroduction programme has took another step forward with four pandas who are expected to be mothers this year being transferred to a special facility, where they will be left to give birth and bring up their cubs in a semi wild environment without interference from humans.

All four Giant Pandas are wild born so have natural ability to survive in the wild. All but one has been a mother before.

Researchers will observe and monitor the mothers, seeing how they choose where to nest and how they bring up their cubs. Later on the smells and sounds of enemies of the Giant Panda will be introduced in to the area so as prepare the young cubs for life in the real wild.

The four Giant Panda mothers selected for the experiment are : Zi Zhu Zi Zhu 紫竹 656 -- Female Hetaoping Training Base PINGWU , Cao Cao Cao Cao 草草 581 2002-- Female Hetaoping Training Base Caopo , Zhang Ka Zhang Ka Dai Li 张卡 505 2000-- Female Hetaoping Training Base Baoxing County and Ying Ping Ying Ping 英萍 200835 -- Female Hetaoping Training Base WOLONG .

This is a very important step in the programme to reintroduce giant pandas back in to the wild.