Great News for the Wild Panda: Population No Longer Endangered!

The wild panda population in China has nearly doubled since the nation stepped up its conservation efforts.

“This indicates that China’s giant panda conservation efforts have been recognized by the international wildlife conservation community,” says Mr Zhang Yue, an official with the China’s National Foresty and Grassland Administration, thanks to the downgraded status of giant pandas from “endangered” to “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

In the 1980s, the population of pandas stood at around 1,100 individuals; today, 1,900 wild pandas roam China’s land. Considered a national treasure, the nation doubled its efforts to protect the giant panda by creating additional protected areas. Protected areas for the species have grown from 1.39 million hectares to 2.58 million hectares today. The country has even organized international cooperation to protect the species further worldwide. Disease prevention measures, regular health monitoring, and venue construction and management are all addressed within the plan.