Hoping to save giant pandas from extinction, China is training them to survive

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1 Hoping to save giant pandas from extinction, China is training them to survive By Los Angeles Times, adapted by Newsela staff on Word Count 713 Level 860L Wearing panda costumes, Wolong staff members give giant panda baby Xinnier a physical examination at the Hetaoping field training base in Wolong, a giant panda habitat in China's Sichuan province. Photo: Xue Yubin/Xinhua via ZUMA Wire/TNS BEIJING, China The Hetaoping Wilderness Training Base is in the mist-covered mountains of southwestern China. That's where Cao Cao, a panda mom, cuddles her 2-month-old cub. The cub and his sister are twins. They are the first twin giant panda cubs born in a return-to-nature program run by Chinese scientists. The cubs' mother was raised on the training base, protected. The cubs' father lives in the wild. The idea of this program is to breed pandas that will eventually live in the wild. The goal is to save the giant panda species from extinction, ensuring it survives. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 1

2 One of Cao Cao's male cubs, Tao Tao, was released to the wild in His story could be a huge success. Researchers believe Tao Tao might have had a cub of his own. Two Panda Centers Raise The Bears Differently Wild pandas were once found in 17 Chinese provinces, which are similar to states. Now they are only found in three provinces. The program's goal is to strengthen fragile populations scattered in six isolated mountainous areas. Conservation space land set aside for purely natural environments is also important. China is working on a huge conservation park. Researchers hope this park will help the successful release of dozens of captive-bred pandas. At Hetaoping, cubs are prepared for release largely without human contact. Their survival training is left to the mothers. Humans bring them bamboo, their main food source, every day. The keepers must dress in panda suits soaked in panda pee to cover their human smell. Anyone visiting the center must also wear the urine-soaked suits. A second center, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, takes the opposite approach. Humans train the bears to eat, climb trees and find water. The problem is that whatever the approach, survival is hard for pandas released in the wild. It's not easy for the humans working with them either. They often receive criticism from the public when a panda suffers or dies in the wild. "If We Don't Help Them, They'll Be Extinct" Of 11 pandas released permanently to the wild by the two centers, three have died. A fourth, Qian Qian (pronounced Chen Chen), got sick and would have died had she not been rescued. Her story is the focus of a recent IMAX movie, "Pandas." The work is important, says Zhang Hemin. He is second-in-command at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, which runs the Hetaoping base. "If we don't help them, they'll be extinct within the next 30 to 50 years. That's why we are training the captive-bred pandas for release." Now, almost all captive-bred cubs at Hetaoping survive to adulthood. They are considered ready for release at 2 years old. Still, the life of wild pandas is very difficult. They are sensitive creatures and live alone in rough mountainous areas. They spend much of their time chomping 20 to 40 pounds of bamboo daily to survive. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 2

3 Preparing Pandas For Survival Is Not Quick Or Easy Zhang is known in China as the Father of Pandas. He was devastated when the first panda born and raised in captivity died a year after being released into the wild. The bear's training did not prepare it for life out there. At the time, Zhang said, researchers were sort of making things up as they went along. "We used our human ideas on how to survive in the wild," he said. "So he died." Hetaoping panda keeper He Shengshan agrees. "We trained the panda with humans directly involved step-by-step," said He. "We trained him how to climb trees and find water and food. We thought Xiang Xiang had mastered everything he needed to live in the wild, but obviously, we were wrong." From then on, Hetaoping researchers have tried to avoid human training and contact. Three young pandas are now being prepared for release from Hetaoping. The plan has many steps to go before it is a success. The pandas must first survive. Then they must have and raise wild cubs that can also survive. "That is the biggest challenge for us," said Zhang, of the Chengdu base. "We spent almost 50 years to successfully breed pandas in captivity. Maybe it will take another 50 years to reintroduce captive pandas into the wild." This article is available at 5 reading levels at 3

4 Quiz 1 Which two statements are MAIN ideas of the article? 1. Wild pandas were once found in 17 Chinese provinces. 2. A program in China is breeding pandas to release into the wild. 3. Training captive pandas to survive in the wild is difficult. 4. The public gets angry when a panda suffers or dies in the wild. 1 and 2 2 and 3 3 and 4 1 and 4 2 Read the following paragraph from the section "If We Don't Help Them, They'll Be Extinct." The work is important, says Zhang Hemin. He is second-in-command at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, which runs the Hetaoping base. "If we don't help them, they'll be extinct within the next 30 to 50 years. That's why we are training the captive-bred pandas for release." How does this paragraph support the MAIN idea of the article? It describes ways that people can keep pandas from becoming extinct. It demonstrates that there is no hope for pandas released in the wild. It elaborates on the reasons for the panda return-to-nature program. It introduces the leader of the China Conservation and Research Center. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 4

5 3 According to the section "Two Panda Centers Raise The Bears Differently," how do zoo keepers at Hetaoping prepare pandas to live in the wild? Keepers release the pandas into a wild habitat for a few hours each day so they can get used to what it is like. Keepers show the pandas how to eat, climb trees and find water by dressing in panda suits during training. Keepers leave training to mother pandas and dress in panda suits soaked in panda pee to bring them food. Keepers train the pandas by having humans live among them and being directly involved in every step. 4 Why did Zhang Hemin feel devastated after the panda Xiang Xiang was released into the wild? because Xiang Xiang was not prepared well enough and he died because he missed being able to see Xiang Xiang at the zoo every day because people who saw Xiang Xiang called him the Father of Pandas because he spent 50 years learning to breed Xiang Xiang in captivity This article is available at 5 reading levels at 5

6 Answer Key 1 Which two statements are MAIN ideas of the article? 1. Wild pandas were once found in 17 Chinese provinces. 2. A program in China is breeding pandas to release into the wild. 3. Training captive pandas to survive in the wild is difficult. 4. The public gets angry when a panda suffers or dies in the wild. 1 and 2 2 and 3 3 and 4 1 and 4 2 Read the following paragraph from the section "If We Don't Help Them, They'll Be Extinct." The work is important, says Zhang Hemin. He is second-in-command at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, which runs the Hetaoping base. "If we don't help them, they'll be extinct within the next 30 to 50 years. That's why we are training the captive-bred pandas for release." How does this paragraph support the MAIN idea of the article? It describes ways that people can keep pandas from becoming extinct. It demonstrates that there is no hope for pandas released in the wild. It elaborates on the reasons for the panda return-to-nature program. It introduces the leader of the China Conservation and Research Center. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 6

7 3 According to the section "Two Panda Centers Raise The Bears Differently," how do zoo keepers at Hetaoping prepare pandas to live in the wild? Keepers release the pandas into a wild habitat for a few hours each day so they can get used to what it is like. Keepers show the pandas how to eat, climb trees and find water by dressing in panda suits during training. Keepers leave training to mother pandas and dress in panda suits soaked in panda pee to bring them food. Keepers train the pandas by having humans live among them and being directly involved in every step. 4 Why did Zhang Hemin feel devastated after the panda Xiang Xiang was released into the wild? because Xiang Xiang was not prepared well enough and he died because he missed being able to see Xiang Xiang at the zoo every day because people who saw Xiang Xiang called him the Father of Pandas because he spent 50 years learning to breed Xiang Xiang in captivity This article is available at 5 reading levels at 7