First Panda Freed Into Wild Found Dead for National Geographic
News |May 31, 2007| The first captive-born giant panda ever
released into the wild has been found dead in southwest China,
wildlife officials announced yesterday. The body of Xiang Xiang,
a five-year-old male panda, was discovered on snow-covered
ground in the bamboo forests of Sichuan Province on February 19
(see a map of China). The news was held until experts could
conduct a full examination. The panda appears to have died from
injuries it sustained in a fall after getting into a fight with
wild-born males. Released last April, Xiang Xiang was the first
and only giant panda to be set free since captive breeding of
the rare animals began more than 40 years ago. Conservationists
had hoped that the pioneer panda would mark the start of a
successful program to reintroduce the endangered mammals in
their native habitat. The examination of Xiang Xiang's body
revealed that the panda had suffered broken ribs and serious
internal damage, according to st