Workers at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Release Research Center have released six pandas into an artificial “wild” environment, aptly named the “Panda Valley”. 

The Panda Valley, that is still under construction, is an enclosed forest located in China’s Sichuan province on Wednesday, and is found in Majiagou in Yutang town of Dujiangyan city. 

Deputy director of the Chengdu panda base, Fei Lisong said that the release is only the first step of a project to acclimatise pandas in a semi-wild environment so that they can fend for themselves when released into the Chinese wilderness. 

The six pandas were chosen based on a year-long observation into their health, age, gender, character and genetic background, and were carefully selected from amongst 108 pandas who live in the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. They will become the first group of ‘pioneers’ to be reintroduced into the wild. 

Twins Xing Rong and Xing Ya are the 4-year olds to go into the new facility, alongside 3-year olds Gong Zai and Ying Ying, and 2-year olds Zhi Zhi and Qi Qi.

The opening ceremony was attended by NBA star, Yao Ming, who said to the press: “I think it is most important to keep a balance between modern living and nature. We have been talking about it for many years but it is never an easy thing to do.”

Over the course of 30 years, the Chengdu panda base have released 10 pandas into the wild who were born in captivity, but only two have thus far survived. 

Researchers now believe that releasing a group of pandas in one go will ensure a higher survival rate as opposed to individually. 

The semi-wild enclosure will train pandas in their adaptation skills through the removal of human contact and the availability of manmade wild feeding areas. 

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