On the day of the release, the keepers arrived at Ye Yunian’s enclosure early in the morning. Three of them worked together to carry in a sturdy iron cage from outside.

Since Ye Yunian was known for his gentle temperament, the base decided not to sedate him. Instead, they opted to lure him into the cage using food. To make his journey more comfortable, they thoughtfully placed a solid wooden board at the bottom of the cage. On top of that, they laid down a “carpet” of bamboo and scattered fresh apples and steamed buns.

After positioning the cage’s open door at the exit of the enclosure, the keepers left.

Initially, the keepers worried that Ye Yunian might resist entering the cage, so they purposely didn’t feed him breakfast that morning. To their surprise, as soon as they remotely opened the enclosure’s door, Ye Nian waddled into the cage without hesitation. The whole process was remarkably smooth.

In the monitoring room, the keepers watched Ye Yunian make a beeline for the steamed buns and start devouring his meal, without showing any signs of discomfort. Seeing how easily he entered the cage, they finally relaxed.

The base had been preparing for Ye Yunian’s release for half a month. After the interview footage was posted online two days ago, it drew a lot of attention from both the public and panda enthusiasts.

Early that morning, a crowd of media reporters and panda-loving bloggers and photographers gathered at the base’s entrance. For the safety of all animals in the nature reserve and to protect Ye Yunian’s well-being, the release was not allowed to be filmed in real-time. So, everyone waited outside the base for updates.

The pre-release preparations were extensive, taking up to one or two hours, but the crowd waited patiently. Some bloggers even started live-streaming, and their streams quickly filled with viewers, turning into one of the top trending live streams on the platform.

In the live chat, the topic everyone discussed most was—would they get a chance to see Ye Yunian today?

After all, Ye Nian was incredibly good-looking! His round, chubby face made him irresistibly cute on camera. Many panda fans who had only seen photos of him couldn’t get him out of their minds.

Among the crowd, nearly half of the fans had traveled from different parts of the country, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ye Yunian in person. After today, it seemed likely they would never have the chance to see him again. No one wanted to miss this rare opportunity.

Unfortunately, after waiting all morning, the crowd didn’t get to see Ye Yunian. Instead, they received news that the vehicle transporting him had already left through the side gate.

There were simply too many people who came to see Ye Yunian that day, and more kept arriving. The base had never anticipated such high popularity for Ye Yunian.

Since he wasn’t used to crowds, having been raised away from large groups of humans, and since he was already confined in a cage, the base worried that the stress could affect his release. Considering Ye Yunian’s emotional well-being, they decided to quietly use a side exit with no people.

When the gathered fans heard the news, they were disappointed. Those watching the live stream were even more disheartened.

One viewer couldn’t hold back and sent a comment in the live chat, wailing:
“Ye Yunian is such a cute and beautiful little panda! Can’t the base just keep him?!”

Soon, another fan replied:
“Even though life at the base is nice, Ye Yunian is a wild panda. How could he ever adapt to a life in captivity?”

“Exactly, Ye Yunian must have been looking forward to today’s release.”

It’s a good thing Ye Yunian didn’t have access to a phone, or he would’ve been furious by reading that comment.

Nonsense! All nonsense!

What kind of freedom was he looking forward to?!

His lifelong dream was to eat, sleep, and laze around—who in their right mind would be eager for the wild?

Ye Yunian wished he could stay at the base forever.

But, alas, pandas don’t speak human language, and no matter how much he wanted to, little panda paws couldn’t fight against human decisions.

Ye Yunian stepping into that cage was just a temporary compromise.

Temporary!

Hmph, as soon as the staff left, he planned to make a quick turnaround and follow them right back to the base.

After he entered the cage, it wasn’t long before the keepers lifted it onto a small truck and set off toward the release site.

Throughout the journey, the keepers were attentive to Ye Yunian’s emotions, stopping frequently to check on him, worried he might be distressed from being confined in the cage.

To their relief, Ye Yunian showed no signs of discomfort the entire way. As soon as he entered the cage, he obediently sat down and started munching on steamed buns, followed by apples. Eventually, he even consumed the bamboo “carpet” they had laid out for him.

The staff chuckled, “Ye Yunian’s really calm—he’s been eating non-stop.”

Ye Yunian paused mid-chew, feeling a bit indignant. He wasn’t “calm”; he was just being smart—stocking up on energy for what was to come.

After all, he had no idea where the base would release him, or if there would be enough food in the wild. He had to eat now so he’d have enough strength to find his way back.

The three trucks drove deep into the mountains for nearly two hours before finally stopping at the top of a hill.

Half a month earlier, the base had thoroughly scouted the best location for Ye Yunian’s release. After discussions with experts, they decided to return him to his original territory—the forest where he had first been found injured.

This area had lush vegetation, with bamboo covering most of the mountain—a perfect habitat for pandas. More importantly, there had been no signs of other wild pandas within a hundred kilometers, meaning Ye Yunian wouldn’t have to compete for territory.

Pandas aren’t considered adults until they’re five years old, and at just two years old, Ye Yunian was still a juvenile. Although he had gained some weight during his two-and-a-half-month recovery at the base, his body wasn’t fully developed yet. If he were to encounter a territorial dispute with an adult panda, it would not end well for him.

Releasing him into familiar surroundings would help him feel more at ease.

The staff carefully unloaded the 100-kilogram panda, cage and all, and carried him into the forest.

Ye Yunian remained incredibly quiet during the entire process, his big, shiny eyes scanning his surroundings as he tried to memorize the landscape.

After about half an hour of walking, the staff stopped at a dense bamboo grove.

“This is the spot. Let’s prepare for the release. The rest of you, head back to the trucks,” the lead keeper instructed.

One staff member recorded the moment with a camera while the others retreated to a safe distance.

With a loud click, the heavy iron door in front of Ye Yunian swung open.

A cold wind blew against his fluffy face. Though it was March, the mountain air still carried a chill. But thanks to his thick fur, Ye Yunian was well-insulated.

Ye Yunian knew this was his cue to start “acting.” He slowly stood up, sniffed the air with his nose, and took in his surroundings.

Pandas have excellent senses of smell, and Ye Yunian didn’t detect anything dangerous.

Of course, the base wouldn’t release him into a risky area.

Feeling reassured, Ye Yunian leisurely stepped out of the cage and began to walk toward the depths of the bamboo forest.

The staff watched his black-and-white figure blend into the dense green of the bamboo, cheering once he disappeared from sight. They celebrated the success of the release.

Later that afternoon, the base’s official social media account posted a carefully edited video documenting Ye Yunian’s departure from the base and his release into the wild.

Panda fans who had been waiting all day were overjoyed to see him again.

“Not to brag, but Ye Yunian is honestly the most beautiful panda I’ve ever seen!”

“Seriously, he’s gorgeous.”

“And such a sweet personality! He was eating the entire time during the release!”

“The more I see of Ye Yunian, the more I love him. I’m going to miss him so much.”

“Yeah, who knows if we’ll ever get to see him again…”

Fans couldn’t help but feel emotional. If they, as strangers, already felt so attached to Ye Yunian, how much more difficult must it have been for his keepers, who had cared for him all this time?

Online discussions continued throughout the day. The next morning, another group of reporters arrived at the base, including the same female journalist who had filmed Ye Yunian’s previous interview.

This time, the interview focused on the topic of “Rescue and Release of Wild Pandas,” and the keeper who had spent the most time with Ye Yunian participated in the interview.

Given the buzz surrounding Ye Yunian’s release the day before, the livestream once again drew a large audience.

Toward the end of the interview, the female journalist, recalling comments she had seen online the day before, couldn’t help but ask, “You were the one who cared for Ye Yunian from the moment he was rescued until his release. Was it hard for you to let him go yesterday?”

The keeper’s expression flickered with a trace of sadness, but he nodded without hesitation. “Of course, it was difficult. But it’s also what’s best for him.”

The journalist nodded, thinking of the adorable panda, and asked the question that was on the minds of all the fans watching that day: “Indeed. But will you, or any of us, ever have the chance to see Ye Yunian again?”

The keeper sighed and shook his head without hesitation. “Even though we’ll monitor his activities from time to time, the chances of meeting him again are slim—almost impossible.”

Just as his words settled, before the journalist could respond, a frantic voice came from outside the room: “Something’s wrong!”

The journalist looked out, puzzled. “What happened?”

Another staff member burst into the room, looking flustered. He rushed over to the keeper who was being interviewed and exclaimed, “It’s Ye Yunian! He’s back!”

The journalist blinked, convinced she had misheard.

The keeper’s mind went blank for a few seconds before he asked, in disbelief, “Who did you say came back?”

The staff member, equally frantic, repeated, “Ye Nian! He’s back!”

???

Wait, wasn’t Ye Nian just released into the wild yesterday?!