Tao Tao recaptured for health examination
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On August 3, 2010 Cao Cao gave birth to a male cub. This was the first cub delivered in Wolong after the Wenchuan Earthquake on May 12, 2008. He was also the first cub ever delivered in a wild training base without any assistance from humans. During the first month of this cub's life, researchers had developed a long term plan for Cao Cao and her cub.
The first part of the plan was to allow Cao Cao and her cub to live in a relatively simple environment to monitor the cub and see if he would survive without human intervention. Any time the cub was handled, researchers wore panda suits covered in panda feces to mask the smell of humans. Cao Cao and her cub that was named Tao Tao later moved into a new larger more diverse semi-wild environment with more challenges to find bamboo, water, and shelter. This new semi-wild environment created more risk for the cub’s survival, but was an important and necessary step for the wild training of the cub. Cao Cao and Tao Tao were released into the 3rd and final phase of training in May 2012. This was a key stage for releasing Tao Tao into the wild. They were moved to a 240,000-square-meter training enclosure located in an area about 2,000 meters above sea level in a mountainous forest. The forest vegetation and geographical features are similar to those of the second stage training base. Along with a very large semi-wild enclosure the researchers also included recordings of other wild animals which live in the same environment. These recordings were crucial in teaching Tao Tao to avoid other animals which could cause him harm.
Tao Tao was reintroduced in the Liziping Nature Reserve on October 11, 2012. Tao Tao’s movements are monitored with a special GPS collar for safety and for data collection for research. The special GPS collar which Tao Tao wears today was supplied by Pandas International.
