The IUCN released this information in an update to their Red List of Threatened Species this last Sunday, September 4. The Giant Panda then moved up from Rare to Endangered in 1990 as its population began to rebound. Despite the growing panda population, mainly in captive breeding programs, the State Forestry Administration, which oversees animal conservation efforts in China, said that it was “too early” for the IUCN to downgrade the conservation status of the animal, official Xinhua News Agency reported on September 5.
Advertisement
The giant panda has experienced an increase in habitat in China, which is credited for a 17 percent increase in the population from 2004 to 2014.
“Evidence from a series of range-wide national surveys indicate that the previous population decline has been arrested, and the population has started to increase”, said the IUCN’s updated report.
The WWF, whose symbol is the giant panda, described the results for the animals as “hugely encouraging”. The forestry administration said, “If we downgrade their conservation status, or neglect or relax our conservation work, the populations and habitats of giant pandas could still suffer irreversible loss and our achievements would be quickly lost”.
They celebrated the panda’s re-classification and said aggressive investment pays off “when science, political will and engagement of local communities come together”.
The number of panda reserves in China has jumped to 67 from 13 in 1992. That combined with their poor breeding habits, particularly in captivity, makes protecting this species particularly challenging – and leaves them vulnerable to climate change.
“And thus panda population is projected to decline, reversing the gains made during the last two decades”, said the IUCN report.
While the IUCN gave kudos to the Chinese government for their conservation efforts, they also warned that climate change is still a threat to Giant Panda species. The eastern gorilla, the world’s largest primate, is now endangered.
One of the world’s most iconic endangered species is no longer on the endangered species list!
Some of the apes Andersen is refering to include the western gorilla, the Bornean orangutan and Sumatran orangutan, which have also been classed as critically endangered.
Advertisement
The Eastern Gorilla has two subspecies which have fared differently.
