Fifth panda released into the wild in Sichuan

Hua Jiao, a 2-year-old female panda, was set free at Liziping National Nature Reserve in Shimian county, Sichuan province, on Thursday afternoon.

"It marked the fifth time a captive panda has been released into the wild with the intention of enlarging the wild panda population," said Zhang Guiquan, a veteran panda expert with the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, Sichuan.

The first panda released into the wild was Xiang Xiang, who was born in 2001. The male panda was released in Wolong in 2006. In 2007, its body was found in the woods, with broken ribs and injuries to its ears and back.