This work isn’t just cute; it’s saving the lives of giant pandas!
Dressing up as a panda is an essential part of China’s strategy to successfully reintroduce captive-bred giant pandas back into the wild.
It is not yet clear if the disguises fool the Pandas, but researchers at China’s Wolong Panda reserve, say that captive-bred cubs must live free of all human contact if they are to have any chance of survival.
For years, researchers have been testing out many methods for successful reintroduction in to the wild. In 2006, a male cub that was trained to adapt to life in the wild, but was found dead 10 months later. It was suspected that he killed by other wild pandas. In a new strategy, conservationists released four pregnant Pandas into a protected area of forest to help prepare their future cubs for life in the wild.
Their most recent “costumed” method has proven to be the most successful!
Pandas are very fussy when it comes to mating, but China has made great progress in recent years because of its captive-breeding panda program. This year they reached the magic number of “300,” which is the target number for starting to reintroduce them to the wild.
The giant panda population is still seriously endangered despite all the conservation work. There are less than 2,500 pandas in the wild due to their small natural habitat.