Giant panda Xue Xue, who was born on  August 15, 2012, was released into the wild at the Liziping Natural Reserve in Shimian, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, Tusday Oct. 14, 2014. She became the fourth giant panda to be bred in captivity and released into the wild in China.

Like Tao Tao and Zhang Xiang before her (the two pandas released under the current reintroduction protocol), Xue Xue spent two years’ training in habitat selection, foraging, and avoiding natural enemies.  Under her mothers guidance, and without human intervention, Xue Xue learned to search for food and water, nest, and avoid predators.  Young pandas in the program are rigorously monitored (via live cameras) to ensure that they are “passing” all of the target requirements. In the past, caretakers wore special panda suits smeared with panda urine and feces when contact was necessary.  Closer to release date, however, to make her wary of poachers, they stopped wearing the suits when giving her injections, transporting her long distances, or other unpleasant activities.

It is only those pandas that “pass” all of the testing parameters that are deemed fit for reintroduction.  In Xue Xue’s case, not only did she meet and exceed all testing parameters, but she had also fully separated from her mother (which generally happens around the age of 2), showing that she was comfortably independent.  Xue Xue and her mother, Si Xue,  had no contact with each other for several months before she was transferred to Liziping.

Both before and after transport, Xue Xue was given full physical examinations to ensure that she was as physically ready for reintroduction as she was behaviorally.  She was placed in a holding area prior to her release for final observation.

On the day of her release, Xue Xue showed some reluctance to leave her transport container initially, a behavior which showed that she has learned to be observant and cautious of changes in her environment.  Her mother taught her well.

Xue Xue’s release marks another milestone for the reintroduction program.  As Zhang Hemin, director of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) says, “This release is different from previous ones, as Xue Xue’s parents are both captive-bred giant pandas, which shows that our wild training has improved.”

Xue Xue is equipped with a GPS tracking collar, donated by Pandas International, so that her movements and well-being can be monitored at all times.  She now joins Tao Tao and Zhang Xiang (both are doing well and have fully adapted to life in the wild).  It is the goal of the reintroduction program to have released pandas breed with wild pandas, thereby increasing the genetic diversity (and therefore the viability) of the wild panda population.

Would you like to read more about CCRCGP’s reintroduction program?

Giant pandas are one of the world’s most endangered species. About 1,600 of the animals live in the wild, mostly in the mountains of Sichuan, while more than 300 live in captivity. To support conservation efforts for the Giant Panda, including the reintroduction program, click the “DONATE NOW” button at the top of the page.