Chinese researchers dress up as pandas to move mother and son

Quirky China/Rex

Workers at a panda wild training base in Wolong, in southwest China's Sichuan Province, proved their dedication to the day job - by dressing up like pandas to move a mother and her son.

The researchers said this was to keep an intimate relationship with the pandas and make them feel "safe".

Baby panda Tao Tao was born in 2010 and has never seen a human face because keepers have always dressed in panda suits while around him.

Tao Tao and mum Cao Cao. Photo: Rex

As such, keepers are hoping he will adapt to the wild and when he was six months old he and his mother Cao Cao were moved into a large mountainous area for intensive wild habitat training.

With that having proven to be successful the pair have now been moved to an even wilder area where they have more freedom.

Keepers hope that Tao Tao will be able to be released fully into the wild later this year.

When Tao Tao was born on 3 August 2010, it marked the first time a captive-raised panda had delivered a cub in a near-wild environment.

Over the last few years he has been learning all the behaviours pandas need in the wild, such as walking, climbing trees and looking for food.

Following the success of the programme there are now plans to release six more pregnant female pandas into semi wild enclosures.

Cue more dressing up like bears for their keepers...



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