Nature & Environment

Giant panda moves off endangered species list

By T.K. Randall
September 5, 2016 ·  3 comments

Pandas have been faring a lot better in recent years. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 jballeis The famous black and white bear has been so closely associated with the struggle to rescue endangered species from the brink of extinction that it has been the official symbol of the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) for almost 60 years.

Now at last, extensive conservation efforts in China, including the expansion of forest reserves and more effectively enforced poaching bans, have helped see panda numbers almost double from less than 1,000 individuals back in the 1980s to more than 1,864 in 2014.This change has been hailed as a major success story for conservationists, however officials have warned that there is still much work to be done and that pandas could still see further decline in the future due to climate change eliminating vast swathes of their natural bamboo habitat.

"It is a significant conservation success following years of enormous efforts on the part of the Chinese Government, communities and non-governmental organisations," said Glyn Davies, executive director of global programmes at WWF-UK.

"This is a cause for celebration and proves that a united approach can bring a substantial difference to threatened species, even at a time of great economic growth in China."

Source: BT.com | Comments (3)

Tags: Giant Panda