The giant panda was an endangered species, due to their notoriously low reproduction rate. It’s also important that their natural habitat remains unthreatened. According to statistics, the giant panda’s natural habitat in the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi have expanded. However, protecting their habitat and their living eco-system still requires long-term efforts.

On one hand, the current giant panda’s population has grown steadily. But on the other hand, we see that the entire ecosystem and habitat for the giant panda and related animals are still being threatened. In 1995, there were only about 1,000 wild giant pandas. Now, according to the statistics, the wild giant pandas has a population of 1,864, and that population has been divided in the 33 locations, among which giant pandas in 22 locations have a population less than 30, making them at risk of extinction, so it is necessary to carry out the program of training the captive pandas to go back to live in the wild.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding has fully draw lessons from the successful experience of releasing giant pandas to the wild from both at home and abroad. According to research, in general, the risk is high to the captive animals release to the wild, the survival rate is 32 percent (Jule, Leaver, & Lea, 2008). The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding has full analysis and consult with world renowned experts on releasing the captive animal to the wild. Began with “Xiang Xiang”, the first giant panda released to the wild, China released another 7 giant pandas to the wild from 2012 to 2016.  By the end of 2016, The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding has 176 giant pandas in captivity. According to the information provided by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, the returning giant panda to the wild program was funded by the research base itself and its foundation. The total amount released in 2013 was about 7,800,000.

We all remembered that a giant panda born in captivity and then released into the wild died after being attacked by an unknown animal, researchers have concluded. He Sheng, a 3-year-old male panda, was released into the Liziping Nature Reserve in Shimian county, Sichuan province, in March in 2016. Experts at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding became concerned after receiving abnormal signals from the GPS tag on his neck on Sept 27 and launched a search for the animal. The body was discovered the next day with wounds on its right shoulder, ear and leg. An examination concluded that the panda had been attacked by an unknown animal and the wounds had caused a bacterial infection that resulted in fatal blood poisoning.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding conducted series of improvement measures including further improve the field monitoring techniques and methods and strengthen the wild series of concrete measures, etc.   

Giant pandas are one of the world’s rarest living mammals, and for China, the cuddly bear has also been considered as the panda diplomacy showing the country’s prosperous relationship with others. It is also the world’s responsibility to save this vulnerable species.