Artificially bred China panda dies in the wild
The world’s only artificially bred panda living in the wild has fallen to its death less than a year after it was released, possibly after a fight with other pandas, Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.
Xiang Xiang, 5, was released at the Wolong Nature Reserve for Giant Pandas in the mountainous southwestern province of Sichuan in April last year.
"Experts found the body of Xiang Xiang on February 19 and the panda might have fallen from a high place in a fight with wild pandas," Xinhua said, citing the China Giant Pandas Protection and Research Centre in Wolong.
Xiang Xiang’s release came after nearly three years of training to toughen him up at the research centre.
"Through surveillance we found out that Xiang Xiang had gradually adapted to the wild environment," Zhang Hemin, director of the centre, said in July.
"We have also detected other wild pandas in the area, which means Xiang Xiang is being integrated into a wild population."
Researchers had fitted a global positioning system device around the animal’s neck to monitor his activities, CCTV said.
Surveillance of Xiang Xiang was to have continued until 2008 when the GPS hoop was to drop off automatically after its battery ran out, Zhang said.
"By then, our Xiang Xiang will have become a real wild panda."
Experts had studied his choice of territory, his meals and waste, but strictly avoided direct contact so as to help him completely shake off dependence on humans, CCTV said.
State media said in July China had raised about 180 giant pandas in captive breeding programs and spent $12.5 million since 2003 training them for release into the wild.
The giant panda is one of the world’s most endangered species and is found only in China. An estimated 1,000 live in Sichuan and in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces in the northwest.
1. artificially：人工地
2. toughen up：使強壯
3. surveillance：監(jiān)督、監(jiān)視
4. integrate：使一體化
5. shake off：擺脫
周四，據(jù)報道世界上一只被放歸野外的人工飼養(yǎng)大熊貓在放歸不到一年后在與其他大熊貓爭斗中墜落摔死。
去年四月，五歲的祥祥被放到四川西南臥龍大熊貓自然保護區(qū)。中國大熊貓保護研究中心說：“專家們于2月19日發(fā)現(xiàn)祥祥的尸體，它可能在與其他熊貓爭奪地盤的時候從高處落下?！毕橄樵诜艢w之前曾接受將近三年的生存訓練。中心主任去年七月說：“通過跟蹤觀察，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)祥祥已經(jīng)逐漸適應(yīng)了野外環(huán)境?！薄拔覀円灿^察了此區(qū)域的其它野生熊貓，也就是說祥祥正逐漸融入它們?！毖胍曊f研究人員在祥祥脖子上安裝了全球定位系統(tǒng)項圈，方便監(jiān)視它的行為。項圈電量大約能持續(xù)到2008年，沒電后會自動脫落?！暗侥菚r，我們的祥祥就是純正的野生熊貓了?！?BR> 專家們研究了他選擇領(lǐng)地、飲食和排泄情況，但是沒有直接接觸它，以幫助它徹底擺脫人類幫助。去年七月國家媒體稱中國人工飼養(yǎng)了大約180只大熊貓，從2003年為培訓它們共投入1250萬美元。大熊貓是世界上稀少的瀕危物種之一，并且僅在中國被發(fā)現(xiàn)。目前大約1000只居住在四川、山西、甘肅等西北地區(qū)。
The world’s only artificially bred panda living in the wild has fallen to its death less than a year after it was released, possibly after a fight with other pandas, Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.
Xiang Xiang, 5, was released at the Wolong Nature Reserve for Giant Pandas in the mountainous southwestern province of Sichuan in April last year.
"Experts found the body of Xiang Xiang on February 19 and the panda might have fallen from a high place in a fight with wild pandas," Xinhua said, citing the China Giant Pandas Protection and Research Centre in Wolong.
Xiang Xiang’s release came after nearly three years of training to toughen him up at the research centre.
"Through surveillance we found out that Xiang Xiang had gradually adapted to the wild environment," Zhang Hemin, director of the centre, said in July.
"We have also detected other wild pandas in the area, which means Xiang Xiang is being integrated into a wild population."
Researchers had fitted a global positioning system device around the animal’s neck to monitor his activities, CCTV said.
Surveillance of Xiang Xiang was to have continued until 2008 when the GPS hoop was to drop off automatically after its battery ran out, Zhang said.
"By then, our Xiang Xiang will have become a real wild panda."
Experts had studied his choice of territory, his meals and waste, but strictly avoided direct contact so as to help him completely shake off dependence on humans, CCTV said.
State media said in July China had raised about 180 giant pandas in captive breeding programs and spent $12.5 million since 2003 training them for release into the wild.
The giant panda is one of the world’s most endangered species and is found only in China. An estimated 1,000 live in Sichuan and in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces in the northwest.
1. artificially：人工地
2. toughen up：使強壯
3. surveillance：監(jiān)督、監(jiān)視
4. integrate：使一體化
5. shake off：擺脫
周四，據(jù)報道世界上一只被放歸野外的人工飼養(yǎng)大熊貓在放歸不到一年后在與其他大熊貓爭斗中墜落摔死。
去年四月，五歲的祥祥被放到四川西南臥龍大熊貓自然保護區(qū)。中國大熊貓保護研究中心說：“專家們于2月19日發(fā)現(xiàn)祥祥的尸體，它可能在與其他熊貓爭奪地盤的時候從高處落下?！毕橄樵诜艢w之前曾接受將近三年的生存訓練。中心主任去年七月說：“通過跟蹤觀察，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)祥祥已經(jīng)逐漸適應(yīng)了野外環(huán)境?！薄拔覀円灿^察了此區(qū)域的其它野生熊貓，也就是說祥祥正逐漸融入它們?！毖胍曊f研究人員在祥祥脖子上安裝了全球定位系統(tǒng)項圈，方便監(jiān)視它的行為。項圈電量大約能持續(xù)到2008年，沒電后會自動脫落?！暗侥菚r，我們的祥祥就是純正的野生熊貓了?！?BR> 專家們研究了他選擇領(lǐng)地、飲食和排泄情況，但是沒有直接接觸它，以幫助它徹底擺脫人類幫助。去年七月國家媒體稱中國人工飼養(yǎng)了大約180只大熊貓，從2003年為培訓它們共投入1250萬美元。大熊貓是世界上稀少的瀕危物種之一，并且僅在中國被發(fā)現(xiàn)。目前大約1000只居住在四川、山西、甘肅等西北地區(qū)。