随着大熊猫“祥祥”消失在卧龙的莽莽群山，全球首只圈养大熊猫迈出了其独立生存的第一步。此次放归行动不仅标志着大熊猫保护工作开始从加强野外救护、强化人工圈养阶段向野化放归新阶段的迈进，同时也标志着中国其它濒危野生动物野化放归工作的开始，是中国野生动物保护史上的里程碑。

Panda Xiang Xiang, a tranquiliser dart still hanging from his shoulder, is released from the Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in southwest China's Sichuan province April 27, 2006. The four-year-old male giant panda, which was raised at the centre, was the first to be released out of more than 180 captive-bred pandas worldwide, China Daily reported. [Newsphoto] He became the first-ever human-raised giant panda to be released into the wild, and had to undergo three years of survival training. He will be monitored through a global positioning device attached to a collar. Facing his new world, the panda hesitated for a second on Friday then wandered into bamboo groves 10 metres away. Born into the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Centre in Wolong in 2001, Xiang Xiang was selected from more than 100 giant pandas bred in captivity for natural habitat training, mostly because he was strong and healthy, said experts. He learned how to build a den, forage for food and mark his territory, and developed defensive skills by howling and biting, said Zhang Hemin, head of the panda research centre. Zhang said they chose to release Xiang Xiang now because in late April his favourite food, bamboo shoots, are sprouting. Xiang Xiang faces many challenges, one of which is parasitic infection, said Zhou Xiaoping, deputy chief engineer at the centre. "Parasites can be fatal for a giant panda," Zhou said. "The bamboo shoots they eat in captivity are disinfected and scientists regularly check pandas for parasites." There are more than 180 giant pandas living in captivity, and 1,590 in the wild, mostly in Sichuan. Xiang Xiang's liberation marks a significant change in saving the endangered species, with the move to training them to live in the wild, said Zhao Xuemin, deputy head of the State Forestry Administration. Chinese scientists had previously given priority to artificial-breeding and protection, Zhao said. Plans are afoot to release other endangered species into the wild such as Chinese alligators, wild horses and red ibis (a kind of bird). (China Daily)

Vocabulary:

global positioning device : 全球定位仪 bred in captivity: 圈养 forage for：搜寻（食物） sprout：萌芽，发芽 parasitic infection：寄生性（疾病）感染 Chinese alligator: 扬子鳄 red ibis : 朱鹭