Click here to see a video of the Wolong Nature Reserve

CHENGDU Panda cubs play at China’s giant breeding centre in Chengdu, Sichuan province, where for the past 20 years scientists have worked to protect and expand the population of one of the world’s most endangered species.

An estimated 1,600 wild pandas live in nature reserves in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, and 217 are kept in captivity. Animal experts have had to deal with the animals’ natural reluctance to mate and the female panda habit of abandoning one of the twin cubs to which they commonly give birth.

The next challenge facing the conservationists is to enable the pandas to live successfully in the wild. Animals born in captivity must be taught how to forage for food and protect themselves against other pandas fiercely guarding their territory. There are only 1,590 pandas in the wild, and researchers at the Chengdu centre and the nearby Wolong Nature Reserve say that it is crucial to improve gene diversity to raise the animal’s chances of avoiding extinction.

With more twins surviving, they are looking to reintroduce one from each pair into the wild, because their genes would be less suitable for breeding among the captive population. (Reuters)

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