Project aimed at saving a species

Scientists at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda started the wilderness-survival training project in 2003. Xiang Xiang, a male born in the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan province in 2001, was selected as the first panda to receive this type of training.

Among the pandas considered for the project, Xiang Xiang was the strongest and the only one who had never fallen ill during the entire period of captivity. He also had a brother with similar genes but who grew up in a captive environment, making it convenient for scientists to conduct comparative research.

When he was almost 2 years old in July 2003, Xiang Xiang was sent into a semi-wild training circle of 27,000 square meters, 2,080 meters above sea level. There he learned how to find and select the most nutritious bamboo. During the season of parasitic infections, he climbed tall trees, allowing him to remain in a relatively dry place.