Panda researchers in southwest China's Sichuan Province are planning to send some captive-bred pandas into the wild, hoping the cuddly bears will eventually learn to survive and even breed without human intervention.

"First we'll release one or two pregnant pandas into the groves in the outer ring of Wolong Nature Reserve before the end of this year," said Zhang Hemin, head of the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Wolong.

The outer ring, rich in vegetation, although fenced is almost the same as the wilderness, except that Zhang and his colleagues will still be able to access and keep an eye on the pandas.

"The pandas would give birth in this semi-wild environment and teach their cubs how to forage for food and survive in the wild," he said.

When the training ends in about two years, they will be released into the wild mountain forests outside the enclosed zone.

Zhang, a renowned panda expert who led the way in breeding giant pandas through artificial insemination, said they had shortlisted six pregnant pandas at their panda research base in Ya'an for the wild training.

"We'll eventually choose just one or two of them -- health, temperament and survival skills would be among the main criteria," he said.

In the first year of the wild training, zoologists would keep an eye on the pandas and, if necessary, continue to provide them with food, said Zhang.

"But to simulate a wild environment as much as possible, zoo workers and vets who enter the zone will disguise themselves as pandas by donning a black-and-white fur coat and crawling on the ground," he said.

The pandas would hopefully take them as their peers and not think they are relying on humans for food and protection.

Before the end of next year, the pandas are expected to rely solely on themselves for food, he said. "By the end of 2012, the healthy panda cubs will be released into the wild mountains."

Wolong Nature Reserve was damaged in the massive earthquake of May 2008 and all the pandas were sent to the Ya'an reserve. Rebuilding of the Wolong base was completed this year and its 154 captive-bred pandas -- including 31 born in the past two years, are expected to come home soon.

China's plan to save the endangered species by releasing captive-bred pandas back into the wild began in 2003, with Xiang Xiang, a male cub being trained to survive in the wild.

Xiang Xiang was released into the wild in 2006, but was found dead in 10 months in a remote corner of Wolong. He had apparently been attacked by wild pandas native to the place.

According to Li Desheng, deputy director of the Wolong center, Xiang Xiang's case proves that wild panda communities are very reluctant to accept male outsiders.

Researchers, however, refused to be dampened by the setback.

In May, the Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base in Sichuan's capital Chengdu began building a wild training center for captive-bred pandas at Majiagou of Yutang Town in the city of Dujiangyan City.