Two-year-old giant panda Taotao set out from Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China s Sichuan Province on Wednesday morning for a journey that eventually ends in the animal let free back to the wild. The State Forestry Administration has decided to release Taotao to the Liziping Nature Reserve surroundings in Shimian County Ya an City also in Sichuan province some 400 kilometers away from Wolong. Taotao set off from Wolong at around 0830 early Wednesday and the panda is scheduled to be set free to the nature on Thursday. Taotao has been at the Hetaoping Wildness Training Base for several months in the Wolong Nature Reserve covering an area of 240000 square meters with an elevation of 2000 meters. At the training base Taotao finished his third round of training to be adapt to the wildness. He has done well in the adaptation process with such survival skills as tree-climbing and orientation. China launched a special program to protect its giant pandas and their natural habitats in the early 1990s. The country released its first giant panda Xiangxiang who had received nearly a three-year adaptation training to wildlife in April 2006. While researchers found Xiangxiang dead less than a year later in February 2007 believed to die from serious injuries after territorial and food fights with local pandas. Copyright CCTV For any questions please call 86-10-63969499 or email cctvnewscontent.cctv.com If you want to learn more please go to the CCTV website at www.newscontent.cctv.com

• published: 31 Oct 2013
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