China sent an artificially-raised giant panda into the wild in Wolong, southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Friday morning.

 

Four-year-old Xiang Xiang, the human-raised male giant panda, became the first giant panda raised in captivity that has been released to its natural home in China. It was also the first release of captive-raised giant panda in the world.

 

When the door of its cage opened at the hillside more than 2,700 meters above the sea level, Xiang Xiang hesitated for a second, then walked slowly for a few steps and eventually ran into a bamboo forest 10 meters away.

 

Weighing 83 kilograms and being 1.1 meters long, Xiang Xiang, meaning "auspicious" in Chinese, looked healthy and energetic and it seemed to be excited to go back to its natural home.

 

Seeing Xiang Xiang disappearing in the bamboo forest, Liu Bin, the 28-year-old keeper, left the crowd seeing the panda off, tears in eyes.

 

"Xiang Xiang is just like my child who has grown up and will leave the family to live a life independently," said Liu, "I hate to part with Xiang Xiang but I hope it can survive on its own and will not forget me."

 

Armed policemen guarded against Xiang Xiang in case it would run wild and reporters were warned not to take pictures of the panda.

 

The release of Xiang Xiang marks the significant change in ways of saving the endangered species by training the pandas to live in the wild before releasing them, which would top the agenda of China's efforts to that effect, said Zhao Xuemin, deputy head of the State Forestry Administration.

 

Chinese scientists have given priority to artificial-breeding and protection of the hairy creatures before releasing them to nature, Zhao said, adding that this also marks the start of China's efforts to carry out wildness training on other endangered species.

 

Zhao said China plans to release Chinese alligators, David deer, wild horses and red ibis, among others, into the wild after wildness training.

 

Born in 2001, Xiang Xiang, whose mother was artificially inseminated, has spent the last three years in a 200,000-square-meter wildness training compound.

 

With three years' training, Xiang Xiang has learned how to build a den, forage for food and mark his territory, and he has also developed defensive skills by howling and biting just as a wild giant panda would go, said Zhang Hemin, head of the China giant panda protection center based in Wolong.

 

Experts from the center have performed Xiang Xiang's last physical check-up, taking his blood pressure and giving him a number of inoculations. The experts have declared Xiang Xiang to be very strong and healthy.

 

Xiang Xiang is released at the height of the season for bamboo shoots, making it easier to find food, said Zhang.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2006)