The Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding will be utilizing a new facility for their reintroduction program.
"Dr. Zhang Zhihe, the director of the Chengdu Panda Base said, we have spent the last 50 years helping to save the endangered giant pandas and we are committed to the healthy growth of the captive population and the reintroduction of captive giant pandas into the wild.
This demonstrates the unique commitment of the Chengdu Panda Base, and the historic commitment of Chengdu, the hometown of giant pandas.
The first giant pandas to be moved to the new facility are Xing Rong and Xing Ya aged four, Gong Zai and Ying Ying aged three, and Zhi Zhi and Qi Qi aged 2. These pandas are all sub-adults, or non-sexually mature pandas.
These pandas have been selected based on specific requirements. The requirements include age, health, gender, genetics, and character. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding Dujiangyan Field Research Center for Giant Pandas is located in giant panda habitat in Majiagou, Yutang Town, Dujiangyan, in Sichuan province.
The total investment planned for the project is RMB 0.3 billion and the construction area planned for the Center is 2,004 mu. Upon completion, the Center will be able to hold 30 to 40 giant pandas and 50 to 100 lesser pandas, also known as red pandas."
"The giant pandas reintroduction research that will be conducted in the Dujiangyan Field Research Center will focus on giant panda breeding, rescue, disaster relief and conservation education. Emphasis will be placed on giving giant pandas more opportunities to learn and practice their survival skills, and gradually reduce human interference until giant pandas can live without human assistance in the wild. This will help to establish a transition buffer zone for reintroducing giant pandas into nature reserves, and propel the future ecosystem rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Longmen Mountain area. This will mean that the most remote nature reserves will now get more protection and technical support".
"Through the hard work of generations of people, 161 giant panda cubs have been born, to 109 litters. 119 of those cubs have survived, and there are currently 108 individuals at the Chengdu Panda Base. This is the largest self sustainable captive population in the world. It is hoped that this population will be able to rejuvenate the wild population when reintroduction becomes possible.
50 years after the first giant panda was rescued, six giant pandas are heading to the Dujiangyan Field Research Center to begin the lengthy process of reintroducing captive animals to the wild."
Source: CRBGPB.
