The China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas has been returning more pandas to the wild over the past year, ensuring there is genetic diversity in Chinas wild Giant panda population.

The center, based in southwest China's Sichuan Province, has been researching the reintroduction into the wild of Giant pandas bred in captivity for many years. The researchers have studied key aspects of reintroducing pandas into the wild including how to train captive pandas to survive in the wild, how to successfully release them and how to monitor their progress once they are released.

"We have released 11 Giant pandas to the wild, nine of which survived. Two previously endangered small wild populations have been restored, with one in Shimian Liziping Reserve in Ya'an, and the other in Longxi Hongkou Reserve in Dujiangyan. Through our field monitoring, we found that they live in a good condition in the wild and are well integrated into the wild populations," said Li Desheng, deputy director and chief expert of the center.

In order to enhance the genetic diversity of Chian's Giant pandas and the vitality of their population, the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas started research in 2016 that observed the outcomes when captive Giant pandas were released to mate with wild pandas.

"By letting the captive pandas mate in the wild, we can better promote the genetic exchange between captive and wild Giant pandas, which will play an important role in restoring the small wild populations in the next step," Li said.