One of the first released pandas has died in the wild

Giant panda Qian Qian [File photo: weibo.com]

A giant panda breeding base has confirmed that one of their first released pandas died in September last year.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding said on its official Weibo account that the panda named He Sheng was found dead in a nature conservation area one day after researchers received an alert signal from the panda's GPS collar.

According to the base, the panda was found with injuries from an unidentified creature on its right shoulder, right ear, and right rear leg.

An autopsy showed that He Sheng died of septicemia caused by systemic bacterial infection from the wound.

The base has responded to the concerns and questioning from the public, saying that the success rate is low for releasing artificial-fed animals into the wild, given the complexity of wild environment.

They added that the release of giant pandas into the wild is currently at an experimental stage and the researchers will learn from lessons and experience to adjust their methods.

He Sheng was sent into the wild in July last year, following a period of adaptation training.

Researchers said a monitoring of He Sheng, in early September last year, showed that the panda was in good condition.

Another panda named Qian Qian, who was released together with He Sheng, was brought back to adaptation training in September due to concerns for its ability to survive the winter in the wild.