How to grow giant pandas in Sichuan

• How to grow giant pandas in Sichuan

Photographer Amy Vitale with of PBS and National Geographic Television team visited the mountainous Sichuan province, to tell how to grow giant pandas, which are about to be released into the wild.

Panda remains constant symbol of China, but at the same time it is a rare species that is on the verge of extinction. Due to the long destruction of these animals and the sharp reduction in the area of their habitat today left about 1,600 giant pandas in the world. Environmental protection experts for years have tried to increase the population of these lovely black and white bears. In 2005, scientists from the National Reserve Vologne in China for the sake of the experiment was released into the wild young male panda, but he soon died, probably as a result of a fight with wild pandas. It was then the director of the reserve, Zhang Hemin, who was nicknamed Papa Panda and his team realized that the birth of the animals in captivity do not really know how to be a panda. Then it was decided to alter the entire program from scratch. Chinese experts have decided that the best way to raise pandas, suitable for life in the wild - is to erase all traces of human presence from their world and enable mothers to raise their offspring alone.

Born in captivity in the basket panda is preparing to move out of the building at a breeding center in Sichuan, China. All photos from this issue were made from 6 to 11 November 2013.

14 panda cubs on a blanket in the breeding center and a panda research.

center worker lucky bamboo the pandas, which are being prepared for life in the wild. Reserve rangers have to dress up in costumes of pandas, the animals have not seen a person before their release into the wild.

Rangers dressed as pandas are trying to lure a panda Yun Tao box to transport it to another aviary reserve.

14-year-old panda named Oo with her cub. Mother was born in captivity and her cub are prepared to ensure that the release into the wild after a few years.

A baby Oo, who is only a month old.

panda costumes hanging in the Vologne National Reserve. All employees of the reserve, which interact with the pandas, which are being prepared for life in the wild, pandas need to wear suits.