The wild giant panda Bai Xue was rescued from a small village in the depths of Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi. She had a scar on her nose, which was very eye-catching.
The giant panda Bai Xue is famous as "runaway bride". She ran away into the wild twice before returning to the China Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center by herself.
The whole story:
On October 2, 1993, villagers found a sick giant panda in Erlangba Township, deep in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi. After the villagers reported to the Forestry Bureau, the staff of the wildlife protection station rushed to the scene immediately. It was in heavy snow at that time, and the car could only drive to a small village that more than 40 miles away from the scene. Everyone walked on the snow and finally found the weak panda. The villagers helped lift the giant panda out of the small village and driven her to Taibai County, Shaanxi.
After preliminary examination, this was a female giant panda about 5 years old. There were many parasites inside and outside the body. It was evaluated that the body was extremely weak due to parasites.
The authority of Taibai held a meeting to study a plan to rescue the panda and named the panda Bai Xue. Because the panda was found in a snowy day, and the place where the panda were found was called Taibai. “So white in Chinese” Then named her Bai Xue.(White Snow) Bai Xue was very gentle and beautiful, and the villagers called her "Snow White."
After Bai Xue's condition stabilized, she was sent to the research center in Louguantai National Forest Park to start the new life.
On August 16, 1994, during the loan exhibition of Fangshan National Forest Park in Suzhou, Bai Xue climbed up the roof along the fence and stomped on the roof. She was frightened and fled. This became a big news in the local. Suzhou TV broadcasted the "panda hunting announcement” every day. The army, public institutions, and citizens all went up the mountain to help. Police dogs were also dispatched. It became a national news. After escaping for 80 days, Bai Xue was taken back to Pangshan National Forest Park.
In 1995, Bai Xue was sent to the China Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center to be a member of panda breeding program. On May 7, 2001, Bai Xue went through three iron gates secretly when all the keepers were cleaning, and she went over a fence, and disappeared among the mountains. The keeper had no idea about how did Bai Xue run away from the enclosure, because she locked the iron door.
After Bai Xue escaped, the staff went up the mountain to look for her. Although the research center provides milk and apples for Bai Xue, and the wild is full of dangers, Bai Xue gave up the comfortable life in captivity and chose the freedom in the wild.
After living in the wild for more than 4 years, in November 2005, Bai Xue came back! Someone saw a giant panda walking around the gate of research center. People tried to lead her back to the mountain, but she refused to leave. Then, the staff of research center use anesthesia to check her body, and found the panda was Bai Xue, who left the center 4 years ago. At this time, Bai Xue was here for help.
She accidentally pierced a sharp bone stubble into her gums while eating and caused infection. As the pain worsened, she could not eat normally. Bai Xue remembered her human friends.
Bai Xue had fully recovered and continued to live in the China Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center after treatment.
The story is like a novel. Unfortunately, the "runaway bride" died of cancer in 2015. Bai Xue left many offspring. In 1997, Bai Xue gave birth to her first child, her eldest son Lin Lin. Lin Lin was chose as a breed male giant panda with the wild genes. His descendants include Yuan Yuan from Taiwan, Xian Nu and Xiang Xiang who lives in Japan, Wu Yi who lives in Chengdu, etc. They are all related to Bai Xue.
Wish all the children and grandchildren of Bai Xue a long and healthy life!
Source (Chinese): https://www.sohu.com/a/149745072_665100
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