Editor'sNote:Asprotectionoftheplanet'sflora,faunaandresourcesbecomesincreasinglyimportant,ChinaDailyispublishingaseriesofstoriestoillustratethecountry'scommitmenttosafeguardingthenaturalworld.AnimalworkerstaketheleopardcattoWutongMountaininShenzhenbeforeitsrelease.ZHUHONGBO/NANFANGDAILYAfterspending136daysattheShenzhenWildlifeRescueCenter,ayoungleopardcatcubhesitatedamoment,sniffingtheairoutsidethedoorofitsportablecage,beforerunningintothewoodsofWutongMountaininGuangdongprovinceonFeb1.OnSept18,thenewbornleopardcat,whichisundersecond-classStateprotection,wasfoundbyaparkworkerinthecitywho'dnoticeditstrugglingonitsown.Afteranightofobservation,waitinginvainforitsmothertoreturn,theanimalworkersfromtherescuecenterdecidedtotakeitin.Ataboutaweekoldandstillnotteething,the17-centimeter-long,180-gramcubwasthetiniestleopardcatrescuedbythecenter."Thecubwasfeebleandwithlowimmunity,andwehadtoputitinanincubator,"saidZhengSuqun,aveterinarianatthecenter."Wefeditgoat'smilkeverytwohours."Some20dayslater,thecubwasgrowinghealthilyandhadbeenmovedoutoftheincubator,andmeatwasaddedtoitsdiet.OnDec2,itwastransferredtoa"wildnesscage"wheretreebranchesandvineswerepositionedtomimicawildenvironment."Wetriednottomakecontactwiththecubexceptforfeeding,aswedidn'twantittodevelopanyattachmentordependenceonhumans,"Zhengsaid.BytheendofDecember,thecubhadbegunamorecomprehensivetrainingperiodasitbegantolearntohunt."Whenitwasabletopreyonsmall,liveanimalssuchaschickens,miceandfish,andcouldstayvigilantenoughtoavoidrisks,wecouldcallitswildnesstrainingasuccess,"saidZengZhiliao,aseniorvetatthecenter,whoruledthattheleopardcatwasmeetingthecriteriatobereleased.Zhengsaid:"Wefeditalittlemorethanusualbeforethereleasesothatitcouldgetthroughsometimeifitisunabletocatchfoodstraightaway.""I'mrelievedandrelaxed,"shesaidasshewatchedtheleopardcatreturntothewild."We'veraiseditwellandmadeitabletolive,haveahabitatandhopefullyprocreate,andthat'sniceenough."Veterinariansmeasurethelengthoftheleopardcat'stailatShenzhenWildlifeRescueCenterinShenzhen,Guangdongprovince,onOct31.ZHUHONGBO/NANFANGDAILY1234567NextPageLastPage71Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.