1 00:00:32,874 --> 00:00:36,874 2 00:00:39,874 --> 00:00:43,252 [Narrator] In these mountains roams one of the rarest species 3 00:00:43,335 --> 00:00:45,212 on our planet. 4 00:00:47,381 --> 00:00:51,927 A shy, elusive, and gentle creature, 5 00:00:52,011 --> 00:00:54,555 the giant panda. 6 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,519 Pandas once ranged in great numbers 7 00:01:00,603 --> 00:01:03,397 between Beijing and the Himalayas. 8 00:01:06,942 --> 00:01:10,738 But now, after centuries of human expansion 9 00:01:10,821 --> 00:01:13,199 and destruction of their habitat, 10 00:01:13,282 --> 00:01:16,577 they are on the brink of extinction. 11 00:01:20,998 --> 00:01:26,003 Today, fewer than 1,600 wild pandas remain. 12 00:01:38,724 --> 00:01:42,895 But against all odds, the people of China have begun 13 00:01:42,978 --> 00:01:48,317 one of the greatest conservation efforts in human history. 14 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:52,196 Their aim, to increase the numbers in captivity, 15 00:01:52,279 --> 00:01:54,365 and far more ambitiously, 16 00:01:54,448 --> 00:01:57,660 to return pandas back to the wild, 17 00:01:57,743 --> 00:01:59,745 to their natural home. 18 00:02:10,506 --> 00:02:13,926 Ya 'an City in Sichuan province. 19 00:02:22,059 --> 00:02:24,770 It's home to panda keeper Liu Juan, 20 00:02:24,854 --> 00:02:27,022 also known as Merry. 21 00:02:29,358 --> 00:02:32,653 Merry has what many might consider a dream job. 22 00:02:32,736 --> 00:02:35,197 Every day she gets to hold, train, 23 00:02:35,281 --> 00:02:39,076 and care for one of the world's most beloved animals. 24 00:02:46,041 --> 00:02:49,420 Every morning, Merry and her colleagues commute 25 00:02:49,503 --> 00:02:52,047 to the China Conservation and Research Center 26 00:02:52,131 --> 00:02:54,008 for the Giant Panda 27 00:02:54,091 --> 00:02:58,012 in the Bifengxia Mountain Park. 28 00:02:58,095 --> 00:03:00,598 This has become the focal point 29 00:03:00,681 --> 00:03:03,058 of panda conservation in China. 30 00:03:03,142 --> 00:03:06,979 It was thrust into the spotlight when in 2008, 31 00:03:07,062 --> 00:03:09,148 a devastating earthquake 32 00:03:09,231 --> 00:03:13,402 ripped through the panda heartlands, 190 miles away. 33 00:03:17,781 --> 00:03:20,242 Many of the pandas here are evacuees 34 00:03:20,326 --> 00:03:24,038 from that disaster. 35 00:03:24,121 --> 00:03:27,041 In charge is director Zhang Ho Min, 36 00:03:27,082 --> 00:03:31,462 affectionately known as Papa Panda. 37 00:03:31,545 --> 00:03:33,923 He has dedicated the last 30 years of his life 38 00:03:34,006 --> 00:03:38,052 to saving the panda from extinction. 39 00:03:38,135 --> 00:03:40,763 The ultimate aim is to release pandas 40 00:03:40,846 --> 00:03:42,848 back into the wild. 41 00:03:46,060 --> 00:03:48,062 Zhang and his team first have to build 42 00:03:48,145 --> 00:03:51,607 a large and viable breeding group in captivity. 43 00:04:00,449 --> 00:04:02,743 Breeding pandas is extremely difficult. 44 00:04:02,826 --> 00:04:04,703 [grunting] 45 00:04:11,543 --> 00:04:13,545 Urine tests have shown 46 00:04:13,629 --> 00:04:17,424 that that time has arrived for nine-year-old Xhui-Xiu. 47 00:04:27,559 --> 00:04:29,812 A young male called Yung Yung 48 00:04:29,895 --> 00:04:33,732 has been chosen as her best genetic match. 49 00:04:44,243 --> 00:04:46,954 It's vital to let pandas communicate 50 00:04:47,037 --> 00:04:49,498 with each other prior to mating. 51 00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:54,044 It's all about smell. 52 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:00,134 Male pandas send signals by rubbing their scent 53 00:05:00,175 --> 00:05:01,760 into their ears. 54 00:05:01,844 --> 00:05:03,595 These act like beacons, 55 00:05:03,679 --> 00:05:07,391 spreading messages on the mountain air. 56 00:05:07,474 --> 00:05:10,561 Xhui-Xiu's acute sense of smell 57 00:05:10,644 --> 00:05:13,355 tells her that there's a male nearby 58 00:05:13,439 --> 00:05:15,316 who's ready to mate. 59 00:05:28,537 --> 00:05:30,205 [squealing] 60 00:05:32,416 --> 00:05:34,585 Although Yung Yung is enthusiastic, 61 00:05:34,668 --> 00:05:37,046 Xhui-Xiu is not so sure. 62 00:05:44,511 --> 00:05:46,180 But time is precious, 63 00:05:46,263 --> 00:05:49,350 so, Lu Lu, a far more experienced male, 64 00:05:49,433 --> 00:05:52,269 is now introduced to Xhui-Xiu. 65 00:06:10,496 --> 00:06:15,209 Zhang and his team have waited patiently for this moment. 66 00:06:15,292 --> 00:06:19,922 Like people, pandas can be particular about their mate. 67 00:06:40,526 --> 00:06:43,362 Today, the wait has paid off. 68 00:06:44,863 --> 00:06:46,657 The chances are good 69 00:06:46,740 --> 00:06:49,034 that Xhui-Xiu will conceive from the mating, 70 00:06:49,118 --> 00:06:51,245 but to improve the odds, 71 00:06:51,328 --> 00:06:55,416 the veterinary team will also artificially inseminate her. 72 00:06:58,043 --> 00:07:01,046 Xhui-Xui is sedated for the procedure. 73 00:07:13,767 --> 00:07:16,520 It's four months since the mating session 74 00:07:16,603 --> 00:07:19,064 and only now is it possible 75 00:07:19,148 --> 00:07:21,316 to discover whether Xhui-Xiu is pregnant. 76 00:07:25,154 --> 00:07:28,615 The procedures and equipment could be frightening, 77 00:07:28,699 --> 00:07:30,534 but the keepers treat the pandas 78 00:07:30,617 --> 00:07:33,745 with kindness and gentle words. 79 00:07:37,124 --> 00:07:40,461 At this stage, a baby panda would be just one-thousandth 80 00:07:40,544 --> 00:07:42,880 the size of its mother. 81 00:07:42,963 --> 00:07:46,758 Ultrasound picks out what looks like a tiny fetus. 82 00:07:49,887 --> 00:07:54,349 More scans over the following days confirm the team's hunch, 83 00:07:54,433 --> 00:07:58,228 and Xhui-Xiu is moved to the maternity wing. 84 00:08:06,403 --> 00:08:11,450 The expectant mothers are monitored 24 hours a day. 85 00:08:18,999 --> 00:08:22,503 It's hard to predict when a panda is going to give birth. 86 00:08:22,586 --> 00:08:24,338 It can happen any time 87 00:08:24,421 --> 00:08:27,633 from three to six months after conception. 88 00:08:27,716 --> 00:08:31,261 They seem to favor the warmest days in August, 89 00:08:31,345 --> 00:08:34,765 which in the wild, is when the bamboo is at its richest. 90 00:08:36,808 --> 00:08:41,146 Xhui-Xiu is off her food and clearly uncomfortable. 91 00:08:42,481 --> 00:08:44,358 (woman speaks Chinese) 92 00:08:48,362 --> 00:08:51,406 Merry reaches out to Director Zhang, 93 00:08:51,490 --> 00:08:54,368 who decides to call in the team to observe. 94 00:09:00,123 --> 00:09:04,002 Finally, the tiny baby begins to show. 95 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:54,511 The cub weighs just three ounces. 96 00:09:56,221 --> 00:09:59,224 Her mother 800 times that much. 97 00:10:01,143 --> 00:10:05,063 But Little Xhui-Xiu isn't the only new arrival. 98 00:10:06,690 --> 00:10:10,819 Her mother gave birth to twins. 99 00:10:10,902 --> 00:10:12,487 In the wild, it's not uncommon 100 00:10:12,571 --> 00:10:15,032 for pandas to give birth to twins, 101 00:10:15,115 --> 00:10:18,619 but the mother generally favors the stronger of the two. 102 00:10:19,995 --> 00:10:22,539 The other rarely survives. 103 00:10:29,921 --> 00:10:31,673 But here at the Panda Center, 104 00:10:31,757 --> 00:10:34,384 every newborn is treated with equal care. 105 00:10:34,468 --> 00:10:36,928 [squeaking] 106 00:10:39,931 --> 00:10:42,100 In the incubator room, 107 00:10:42,184 --> 00:10:43,935 Little Xhui-Xiu's twin 108 00:10:44,019 --> 00:10:47,022 will be under round-the-clock supervision. 109 00:10:49,399 --> 00:10:51,485 Her body temperature is kept 110 00:10:51,568 --> 00:10:53,779 at a constant 104 degrees, 111 00:10:53,862 --> 00:10:57,866 just' as it would be if she were still in her mother's arms. 112 00:11:11,129 --> 00:11:15,217 The survival rate is now an impressive 95 percent, 113 00:11:15,300 --> 00:11:17,386 but it wasn't always so. 114 00:11:17,469 --> 00:11:21,306 In the early days, two-thirds of all incubated cubs died 115 00:11:21,390 --> 00:11:25,644 within the first 80 days. 116 00:11:25,727 --> 00:11:29,564 Zhang and his team were desperate to understand why. 117 00:11:31,983 --> 00:11:34,611 Mother had the answers. 118 00:11:39,783 --> 00:11:42,244 Keepers noticed that every two hours, 119 00:11:42,327 --> 00:11:46,331 she would gently massage her baby's stomach with her tongue. 120 00:11:49,751 --> 00:11:51,294 When they copied her actions, 121 00:11:51,378 --> 00:11:53,130 they made a breakthrough. 122 00:11:56,758 --> 00:11:58,385 Gently patting the stomach 123 00:11:58,468 --> 00:12:00,595 helps the tiny panda to poo 124 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:03,724 when its own muscles aren't strong enough. 125 00:12:06,268 --> 00:12:07,978 It was a key discovery 126 00:12:08,061 --> 00:12:11,273 that helped the vulnerable cubs survive. 127 00:12:14,901 --> 00:12:16,653 Still, it was important 128 00:12:16,737 --> 00:12:20,574 that each cub had time with its mother. 129 00:12:20,657 --> 00:12:24,661 So the team decided to keep swapping the twins. 130 00:12:29,166 --> 00:12:33,003 But you can't just ask a panda to hand over its baby. 131 00:12:34,504 --> 00:12:37,632 This is highly dangerous. 132 00:12:37,716 --> 00:12:42,971 The mother is capable of killing a grown man with a single blow. 133 00:12:58,236 --> 00:13:01,740 The first cub is successfully removed. 134 00:13:06,745 --> 00:13:09,289 [squeaking] 135 00:13:11,500 --> 00:13:14,085 And its twin takes its place, 136 00:13:14,169 --> 00:13:16,713 with mother back in charge. 137 00:13:22,010 --> 00:13:25,722 The keepers will continue to swap the twins every two days 138 00:13:25,806 --> 00:13:27,974 until they are six months old. 139 00:13:44,950 --> 00:13:47,911 Little Xhui-Xiu is only four weeks old 140 00:13:47,994 --> 00:13:51,623 but already she has her black and whites. 141 00:13:51,706 --> 00:13:53,667 She's still blind and vulnerable, 142 00:13:53,750 --> 00:13:56,670 but nature has equipped her with a voice loud enough 143 00:13:56,753 --> 00:14:00,131 to summon her mother through dense forest. 144 00:14:00,215 --> 00:14:02,676 Because mom eats only bamboo, 145 00:14:02,759 --> 00:14:05,178 which is low in nutrients, 146 00:14:05,262 --> 00:14:07,389 she can't produce much milk. 147 00:14:07,472 --> 00:14:09,724 But what little she does produce 148 00:14:09,808 --> 00:14:13,687 is full of antibodies to keep her cub healthy. 149 00:14:17,941 --> 00:14:20,569 The keepers make sure mother's milk is shared equally 150 00:14:20,652 --> 00:14:25,574 between the twins, who both need milk every three hours. 151 00:14:43,925 --> 00:14:45,302 At seven months, 152 00:14:45,385 --> 00:14:46,761 her older cousins and siblings 153 00:14:46,845 --> 00:14:49,180 each weigh around 40 pounds, 154 00:14:49,264 --> 00:14:52,601 with sharp teeth and claws. 155 00:14:53,852 --> 00:14:55,145 They will remain here 156 00:14:55,228 --> 00:14:59,399 or travel overseas as VIPs. 157 00:14:59,482 --> 00:15:01,735 They have been close to humans their whole lives 158 00:15:01,818 --> 00:15:04,738 and are thriving in captivity. 159 00:15:07,824 --> 00:15:10,619 These youngsters will spend the next 12 months 160 00:15:10,702 --> 00:15:13,747 playing together in the panda kindergarten. 161 00:15:13,788 --> 00:15:16,249 [speaking Chinese] 162 00:15:31,139 --> 00:15:34,392 Merry is like their elder sister. 163 00:15:34,476 --> 00:15:37,854 She knows the personality of each and every one. 164 00:15:50,450 --> 00:15:54,955 Just like people, pandas can be very different. 165 00:15:59,250 --> 00:16:01,503 Some are shy and retiring... 166 00:16:05,173 --> 00:16:07,634 while others are bold and adventurous. 167 00:16:16,267 --> 00:16:18,019 Each new generation born here 168 00:16:18,103 --> 00:16:20,814 is a cause for celebration. 169 00:16:26,528 --> 00:16:29,864 But for Zhang, saving the panda from extinction 170 00:16:29,948 --> 00:16:32,951 is just the beginning. 171 00:16:34,869 --> 00:16:37,998 Zhang's dream of restoring pandas to the wild 172 00:16:38,081 --> 00:16:42,085 presents him with the biggest challenge of all. 173 00:16:47,757 --> 00:16:49,217 These captive-bred pandas, 174 00:16:49,300 --> 00:16:51,219 nurtured by humans, 175 00:16:51,302 --> 00:16:53,888 are not equipped with the natural instincts needed 176 00:16:53,972 --> 00:16:56,599 to survive in the mountains. 177 00:17:11,531 --> 00:17:13,366 It was clear to Zhang 178 00:17:13,450 --> 00:17:16,953 that to successfully return pandas to the wild 179 00:17:17,037 --> 00:17:19,831 would require a different approach. 180 00:17:24,085 --> 00:17:26,087 He came up with a new program 181 00:17:26,171 --> 00:17:29,716 here at the Wolong Panda Base, 182 00:17:29,799 --> 00:17:31,384 one of the last places on Earth 183 00:17:31,468 --> 00:17:34,054 where wild pandas still roam free. 184 00:17:50,570 --> 00:17:53,114 Its headquarters were virtually destroyed 185 00:17:53,198 --> 00:17:56,951 in the earthquake of 2008. 186 00:17:57,035 --> 00:17:58,703 Though largely derelict, 187 00:17:58,787 --> 00:18:00,997 some of the enclosures still remain. 188 00:18:04,417 --> 00:18:06,920 Merry will be working alongside Zhang. 189 00:18:07,003 --> 00:18:11,341 But this isn't her first time at the panda base. 190 00:18:11,424 --> 00:18:14,302 She was a keeper here when the earthquake struck, 191 00:18:14,385 --> 00:18:18,431 and this return brings back terrible memories. 192 00:18:21,643 --> 00:18:24,229 The mountains above the center rained down tons 193 00:18:24,312 --> 00:18:25,939 of rock and earth. 194 00:18:26,022 --> 00:18:28,983 Boulders crashed into everything. 195 00:18:29,067 --> 00:18:30,735 [rumbling] 196 00:18:50,505 --> 00:18:53,133 Merry recalls running to the end of the bridge 197 00:18:53,216 --> 00:18:56,594 to rescue pandas as it swayed back and forth 198 00:18:56,678 --> 00:19:00,098 from the sheer power of the massive quake. 199 00:19:10,692 --> 00:19:14,946 Bad as it was, they haven't given up on this place. 200 00:19:18,074 --> 00:19:22,495 Before the quake, they shared a wonderful life here. 201 00:19:34,257 --> 00:19:37,010 Now, for Merry, Zhang, and the team, 202 00:19:37,093 --> 00:19:39,095 this is a new beginning... 203 00:19:41,723 --> 00:19:44,517 an opportunity to try new methods 204 00:19:44,601 --> 00:19:46,853 in their quest to return pandas 205 00:19:46,936 --> 00:19:49,564 to their real home in the wild. 206 00:20:08,666 --> 00:20:10,543 For this project, 207 00:20:10,627 --> 00:20:12,962 parts of the base have been brought back to life 208 00:20:13,046 --> 00:20:18,176 and are home to a revolutionary process called "wild training." 209 00:20:24,307 --> 00:20:27,977 Now, the humans must take a step back. 210 00:20:31,147 --> 00:20:34,067 A panda that's reliant on humans 211 00:20:34,150 --> 00:20:36,861 will never be able to cope in the wild. 212 00:20:41,407 --> 00:20:44,118 They will spend the first two years of their lives 213 00:20:44,202 --> 00:20:47,288 here in this two-acre enclosure, with their mothers, 214 00:20:47,372 --> 00:20:50,208 exposed to nature and the elements. 215 00:20:58,758 --> 00:21:00,551 It's the females that are 216 00:21:00,635 --> 00:21:04,097 the fewest generations removed from the wild 217 00:21:04,180 --> 00:21:06,766 that are selected for the task. 218 00:21:06,849 --> 00:21:11,104 They have the natural instincts needed to survive. 219 00:21:11,145 --> 00:21:15,191 Their job is to pass their knowledge on to their young. 220 00:21:30,039 --> 00:21:35,128 Pandas eat up to 80 pounds of bamboo every day, 221 00:21:35,211 --> 00:21:38,631 and the bamboo growing in these small enclosures 222 00:21:38,715 --> 00:21:42,302 could never sustain that kind of appetite. 223 00:21:42,385 --> 00:21:45,138 Humans have to intervene, 224 00:21:45,221 --> 00:21:47,849 so they've come up with a novel approach. 225 00:21:56,232 --> 00:21:58,359 It's not enough to look the part. 226 00:21:58,443 --> 00:22:02,572 They have to smell the part, too. 227 00:22:02,655 --> 00:22:05,199 Scented with panda poo and pee, 228 00:22:05,283 --> 00:22:09,037 these outfits help to mask human odors. 229 00:22:19,339 --> 00:22:21,049 Today, everyone's focus 230 00:22:21,132 --> 00:22:24,552 is on a 21-month-old male called Tao-Tao. 231 00:22:26,888 --> 00:22:28,848 In the lower enclosure, 232 00:22:28,931 --> 00:22:32,185 his mother has taught him the basic survival skills. 233 00:22:44,906 --> 00:22:49,243 Tao-Tao is the first panda in this experimental project 234 00:22:49,327 --> 00:22:53,998 to be selected for the crucial next stage of wild training, 235 00:22:54,082 --> 00:22:57,794 which takes place deeper in the panda heartland. 236 00:23:00,380 --> 00:23:04,759 But first, the keepers have to capture him. 237 00:23:16,354 --> 00:23:18,856 He's too young to be a threat to humans, 238 00:23:18,940 --> 00:23:21,275 but his mother's taught him well, 239 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:24,862 and catching him isn't going to be easy. 240 00:23:58,229 --> 00:24:00,857 The journey to the new enclosure 241 00:24:00,940 --> 00:24:04,652 will bring Tao-Tao up into the same forest environment 242 00:24:04,735 --> 00:24:06,737 as his wild cousins. 243 00:24:11,075 --> 00:24:14,787 These mountainsides are too steep to be farmed or logged, 244 00:24:14,871 --> 00:24:17,748 so they have survived untouched-- 245 00:24:17,832 --> 00:24:20,668 a perfect panda habitat. 246 00:24:26,048 --> 00:24:28,301 A mile straight up the mountain, 247 00:24:28,384 --> 00:24:31,971 these upper enclosures are as close to real wilderness 248 00:24:32,054 --> 00:24:34,098 as Tao Tao will get 249 00:24:34,182 --> 00:24:37,477 before he's finally released into the wild. 250 00:24:51,699 --> 00:24:53,951 Tao-Tao's mother isn't far behind. 251 00:24:56,162 --> 00:24:59,707 She will not be going with Tao-Tao when he's released, 252 00:24:59,790 --> 00:25:04,295 so she can be with handlers not wearing panda suits. 253 00:25:07,423 --> 00:25:11,344 Left to fend for themselves, they will need to find bamboo 254 00:25:11,427 --> 00:25:14,514 and water naturally, in their new habitat. 255 00:25:24,398 --> 00:25:29,278 One of the reasons giant pandas are nearly extinct 256 00:25:29,362 --> 00:25:30,947 is because, for centuries, 257 00:25:31,030 --> 00:25:32,990 humans have cut down their forests 258 00:25:33,074 --> 00:25:36,244 and turned them into farms. 259 00:25:36,327 --> 00:25:39,455 If Zhang wants to return pandas to the wild, 260 00:25:39,539 --> 00:25:42,625 then he has to make sure there is some wilderness 261 00:25:42,708 --> 00:25:44,919 for them to live in. 262 00:26:02,562 --> 00:26:04,564 As tragic as it was, 263 00:26:04,647 --> 00:26:07,275 the earthquake that devastated this region may, 264 00:26:07,358 --> 00:26:10,486 ironically, have helped the panda's plight. 265 00:26:12,238 --> 00:26:14,407 Many families are now willing to leave 266 00:26:14,490 --> 00:26:18,494 if the government helps find them housing in safer areas. 267 00:26:23,124 --> 00:26:26,919 To give the panda a home here in the Wor-Long Valley, 268 00:26:27,003 --> 00:26:31,382 China replants thousand of acres of forest each year. 269 00:26:31,465 --> 00:26:35,094 It's one of the world's largest environmental projects. 270 00:26:44,061 --> 00:26:46,355 It's Zhang's job to encourage everyone 271 00:26:46,439 --> 00:26:50,443 to share the land with pandas. 272 00:26:50,526 --> 00:26:53,070 Zhang spends as much time as he can 273 00:26:53,154 --> 00:26:56,490 with people who live in the panda wilderness areas. 274 00:27:02,455 --> 00:27:05,458 How children treat the panda and its environment 275 00:27:05,541 --> 00:27:08,711 will determine the fate of the species. 276 00:27:14,759 --> 00:27:18,054 Zhang hopes that this kind of up-close experience 277 00:27:18,137 --> 00:27:19,972 will instill a real love 278 00:27:20,056 --> 00:27:22,558 and respect for the panda. 279 00:27:38,616 --> 00:27:39,950 Tao-Tao and his mother 280 00:27:40,034 --> 00:27:41,827 have been living undisturbed 281 00:27:41,911 --> 00:27:44,288 for five months in their mountain enclosure. 282 00:27:46,791 --> 00:27:50,169 But he must pass one final test. 283 00:27:55,091 --> 00:27:56,717 A young panda is vulnerable 284 00:27:56,801 --> 00:27:59,095 to the jackals, wolves, and leopards 285 00:27:59,178 --> 00:28:02,014 that hunt these hillsides. 286 00:28:02,098 --> 00:28:04,016 Like most animals, 287 00:28:04,100 --> 00:28:06,894 pandas are born with a natural fear of predators. 288 00:28:09,855 --> 00:28:13,776 But captive pandas often don't recognize danger 289 00:28:13,859 --> 00:28:17,321 until it's too late. 290 00:28:17,405 --> 00:28:21,534 A fact Zhang knows only too well. 291 00:28:21,617 --> 00:28:24,620 In 2006, Zhang and his team 292 00:28:24,704 --> 00:28:28,040 chose a five-year-old male, Xiang Xiang, 293 00:28:28,124 --> 00:28:30,418 to be the first ever captive-bred panda 294 00:28:30,501 --> 00:28:33,587 to return to the wild. 295 00:28:33,671 --> 00:28:37,633 They spent over three years preparing him... 296 00:28:37,717 --> 00:28:41,679 years of training, hoping, and worrying. 297 00:28:48,644 --> 00:28:53,607 Just one year into his freedom, tragedy struck. 298 00:28:53,691 --> 00:28:56,944 Researchers found Xiang Xiang's lifeless body 299 00:28:57,027 --> 00:29:00,489 lying in the snow. 300 00:29:00,573 --> 00:29:02,616 He showed signs of having been attacked 301 00:29:02,700 --> 00:29:06,078 by predators or other wild pandas. 302 00:29:07,663 --> 00:29:11,584 For Zhang it was very painful, 303 00:29:11,667 --> 00:29:14,295 like losing his own son. 304 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:28,017 Tao-Tao has spent months learning how to survive, 305 00:29:28,100 --> 00:29:31,061 but it has all been in a safe fenced environment. 306 00:29:35,483 --> 00:29:37,318 Today, the keepers' mission 307 00:29:37,401 --> 00:29:39,528 is to teach him how to survive 308 00:29:39,612 --> 00:29:42,406 in a world filled with leopards and other predators. 309 00:29:45,701 --> 00:29:49,205 They use fresh droppings and urine from a zoo leopard 310 00:29:49,288 --> 00:29:51,707 to give their dummy the authentic smell. 311 00:29:58,798 --> 00:30:01,425 Using radio telemetry, 312 00:30:01,509 --> 00:30:04,887 one of the team tries to locate Tao-Tao's mother. 313 00:30:09,934 --> 00:30:12,686 Tao-Tao may be nearby. 314 00:30:23,531 --> 00:30:26,742 The keepers have brought a recording of a leopard. 315 00:30:45,845 --> 00:30:48,138 [leopard growling] 316 00:30:57,773 --> 00:31:01,569 The experiment is a success. 317 00:31:09,034 --> 00:31:11,078 It's now time for him to make 318 00:31:11,161 --> 00:31:14,206 his historic journey into the wild. 319 00:31:20,838 --> 00:31:22,214 Tao-Tao is sedated 320 00:31:22,298 --> 00:31:24,758 for a final health check. 321 00:31:24,842 --> 00:31:26,844 [speaking Chinese] 322 00:31:31,599 --> 00:31:33,100 He is about to become 323 00:31:33,183 --> 00:31:35,686 the most famous panda in China. 324 00:31:38,814 --> 00:31:41,525 He gets a complete medical exam 325 00:31:41,609 --> 00:31:44,528 to confirm he's fit for his big adventure. 326 00:31:55,915 --> 00:32:00,044 His destination is the Li Tzu Ping Reserve, 327 00:32:00,127 --> 00:32:04,506 50,000 acres of pristine bamboo forest. 328 00:32:07,885 --> 00:32:10,804 The panda population here is dangerously low. 329 00:32:12,890 --> 00:32:16,936 It's estimated that as few as 13 pandas survive here. 330 00:32:19,897 --> 00:32:22,775 The hope is that Tao-Tao, strong and healthy, 331 00:32:22,858 --> 00:32:24,693 will find a female panda 332 00:32:24,777 --> 00:32:27,237 and introduce a new bloodline. 333 00:32:29,031 --> 00:32:32,034 He could be the last chance of survival 334 00:32:32,117 --> 00:32:34,495 for this tiny population. 335 00:32:36,163 --> 00:32:38,082 Dignitaries and politicians 336 00:32:38,165 --> 00:32:39,959 have come from all across China 337 00:32:40,042 --> 00:32:43,295 to participate in his release. 338 00:32:43,379 --> 00:32:45,965 Merry and her friends have to settle 339 00:32:46,048 --> 00:32:48,884 for watching the event live on TV. 340 00:32:50,260 --> 00:32:51,595 They have mixed emotions 341 00:32:51,679 --> 00:32:53,973 watching Tao-Tao set free. 342 00:32:54,056 --> 00:32:55,224 While releasing him 343 00:32:55,307 --> 00:32:57,893 is vitally important, 344 00:32:57,977 --> 00:33:00,980 Merry worries for his safety. 345 00:33:01,063 --> 00:33:04,483 All his life, she has taken care of and protected him. 346 00:33:06,318 --> 00:33:08,237 It's hard to let go. 347 00:33:10,906 --> 00:33:12,992 [speaking Chinese] 348 00:33:21,500 --> 00:33:24,003 The moment is emotional for Zhang, as well. 349 00:33:25,713 --> 00:33:27,756 Though sad to see him go, 350 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:30,968 he knows he has to take this step. 351 00:33:38,642 --> 00:33:39,852 This is the culmination 352 00:33:39,935 --> 00:33:43,522 of years of work... 353 00:33:43,605 --> 00:33:47,443 hope, wrapped up in one tiny panda. 354 00:33:56,952 --> 00:33:58,871 A year since the release, 355 00:33:58,954 --> 00:34:02,374 Zhang hasn't seen Tao-Tao. 356 00:34:02,458 --> 00:34:04,334 No one has. 357 00:34:04,418 --> 00:34:08,922 But his GPS collar shows he is alive and well, 358 00:34:09,006 --> 00:34:11,216 roaming across the mountains. 359 00:34:13,594 --> 00:34:16,889 Perhaps he has met other pandas. 360 00:34:16,972 --> 00:34:21,769 And maybe he will father a baby of his own... 361 00:34:21,852 --> 00:34:24,605 one who will roam in the wild... 362 00:34:24,688 --> 00:34:27,900 who will truly be free... 363 00:34:27,983 --> 00:34:30,486 finally home. 364 00:34:33,486 --> 00:34:37,486