Habitat loss
Pandas, native to mountain ranges in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, were first placed in capacity in the 1980s to save them from starvation, Dujiangyan Reintroduction and Breeding Research Center’s Qi Dunwu said.
Most were later released, but a breeding programme has since seen the captive population swell to more than 700, according to Zhang.
Since 2003, Qi said 12 captive pandas, 11 from CCRCGP and one from a separate agency, have been released into the wild, with 10 surviving.
But the Covid pandemic saw the rewilding efforts put on hold for five years.
And apart from preparing the mammals for the dangers of living in the wild, authorities need to ensure they are sent to habitats with sufficient bamboo and space, Qi added.
There are an estimated 1,860 giant pandas left in the wild, according to environmental group WWF.
But the animals, which were removed from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s endangered species list in 2016, still face serious threats from loss of habitat and fragmentation.
Officials are working on linking habitats to allow for pandas to mingle and breed, with more than 40 nature reserves now grouped together to form the Giant Panda National Park covering nearly 22,000 square kilometres.
