Reintroducing Pandas to the Wild: A 20-Year Experiment Using Captivity to Support Wild Populations(AI Translation)
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- China has been conducting panda rewilding experiments for over 20 years, with strict training and evaluation processes under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Out of 12 pandas rewilded since 2003, 10 have survived, indicating a high success rate compared to other species' rewilding efforts.
- The rewilding process involves multiple stages of wilderness adaptation training for captive-bred pandas, starting from infancy under their mothers' guidance to minimize human dependency. This method has shown promising results in helping pandas adapt to wild conditions and integrate into existing wild populations.
- Despite the success, challenges remain in expanding the scale of panda rewilding due to limited facilities and the need for comprehensive habitat assessments. Collaborations, like with Ya'an City's Yingjing County for a larger rewilding base, aim to explore localized training and release strategies to enhance genetic diversity and strengthen small wild panda populations.
文｜财新周刊 王硕
By Caixin Weekly's Wang Shuo
这是一项持续了20余年的野化放归试验，放归对象是中国特有的珍稀孑遗物种——有“国宝”之称的大熊猫。
This marks an ongoing rewilding experiment spanning over 20 years, focusing on a species unique to China and considered a national treasure—the giant panda.
所谓野化放归，是对人工饲养、繁育的动物进行野外生存能力的训练后，将其放回大自然，使其彻底适应野外生活的过程。大熊猫的野化放归在国家林业和草原局的严密监管下实施。在放归之前，每一只大熊猫放归个体要经历不同阶段三至七年的野化培训，其间历经多次专家评审，包含放归地评估等，最后由国家林草局批准后方可放归。自2003年中国启动圈养大熊猫野化放归项目，20余年的时间里仅有12只圈养大熊猫在经过野化培训后，获准放归山林。
The so-called rewilding and release process involves training animals that have been artificially bred and raised to enhance their wilderness survival skills, and then releasing them back into nature to fully adapt to life in the wild. The rewilding and release of giant pandas are carried out under the strict supervision of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Before being released, each giant panda must undergo three to seven years of rewilding training at different stages. This process includes multiple expert reviews, including assessments of the release site, and finally, approval from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration is required for release. Since China initiated the captive giant panda rewilding project in 2003, over a span of more than 20 years, only 12 captive-bred giant pandas have been approved for release into the mountains after undergoing rewilding training.
圈养动物放归野外是一项颇具风险的工作。中国曾成功放归麋鹿、普氏野马和朱鹮，帮助它们重建野外种群，但大熊猫的放归并非一帆风顺。2006年，全球首只放归野外的圈养大熊猫祥祥在放归不久后死亡，一度使大熊猫放归项目中断。直至2010年，圈养大熊猫野化放归项目二期在野化培训方式进行重大调整后重启。2012年至2017年，中国大熊猫保护研究中心（下称“熊猫中心”）在小相岭山系栗子坪区域先后放归了淘淘、张想、雪雪、华娇、华妍、张梦、八喜和映雪等八只圈养大熊猫。2018年12月，又在岷山山系龙溪—虹口区域放归两只圈养大熊猫琴心和小核桃。此后受新冠疫情影响，放归实验工作再次中断，但大熊猫野化培训工作一直在开展。
Reintroducing captive animals into the wild is a highly risky endeavor. China has successfully reintroduced species such as the milu deer, Przewalski's horse, and the crested ibis back into their natural habitats, aiding in the reestablishment of their wild populations. However, the process of reintroducing giant pandas has not been smooth sailing. In 2006, Xiang Xiang, the world’s first captive giant panda to be released into the wild, died shortly after its release, leading to a temporary halt in the panda reintroduction program. It was not until 2010 that the second phase of the captive giant panda reintroduction project resumed with significant adjustments made to its wilderness training methods. From 2012 to 2017, the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas (referred to as "Panda Center") successively released eight captive giant pandas—Tao Tao, Zhang Xiang, Xue Xue, Hua Jiao, Hua Yan, Zhang Meng, Ba Xi, and Ying Xue—into Liziping area of Xiaoxiangling Mountains. In December 2018, two more captive giant pandas named Qin Xin and Xiao Hetao were released into Longxi-Hongkou area of Minshan Mountains. Subsequently, due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, further release experiments were halted; however, wilderness training for giant pandas continued unabated.
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