Panda bred in captivity dies

THE only giant pandareleased into the wild after being bred in captivity has died, setting back China’s efforts to save the critically endangered species, state press reported yesterday.

Xiang Xiang was found dead in February on snow-covered ground after apparently being mauled by wild male pandas protecting their territory, the official Xinhua news agency said.

The five-year-old was bred in captivity at theWolong Nature Reserve in China’s Sichuan province and released into the wild in April last year.

“We chose Xiang Xiang because we thought that a strong male panda would have a better chance of surviving in the harsh natural environment,” said thereserve’s deputy director Li Desheng. “But the other male pandas clearly sawXiang Xiang as a threat.”

Xiang Xiang, which means “Auspicious”, underwent three years of training before his release, learning to build a den, forage for food and mark his territory, but not how to fight well enough.