Forests in the the southwestern part of China were the traditional home of the giant panda, but rapid habitat loss linked to human activity put the species at risk.
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At a meeting this weekend in Hawaii, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) downgraded the giant panda from “endangered” to “vulnerable”, reflecting a steady increase in panda numbers over the past decade.
“To protect this iconic species, it is critical that the effective forest protection measures are continued and that emerging threats are addressed”, IUCN said in its announcement.
While things are certainly going well, China argues that significant challenges remain with climate change threatening to eliminate one third of the panda’s all-important natural habitat.
Also, two species endemic to Australia, the Greater Stick-nest Rat and the Bridled Nailtail Wallaby, have also had their status improved – from “vulnerable” to “near threatened” and from “endangered” to “vulnerable” respectively – due to successful recovery and conservation programs.
Eastern gorillas are sliding towards extinction, conservationists have warned as the primates were classed as critically endangered.
The status change is the result of over 30 years of conservation efforts aimed at helping the animal.
Three other species of great ape – the Western Gorilla, Bornean Orangutan and Sumatran Orangutan – are also now listed as “Critically Endangered”. Since then, a combination of forest protection, reforestation, and strict laws against the killing of pandas allowed the panda population to recover.
After announcing the near extinction of the eastern gorilla on Monday, the nature preservation group confirmed that the cuddly black-and-white creatures’ population has vastly improved.
Eastern gorillas are now estimated to number below 5,000, raising its status from endangered to critically endangered. But today, the Grauer’s gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri, earlier called the eastern lowland gorilla) population is just 3,800, says a report that was out last spring.
Eastern gorillas populate the mountainous forests of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, northwest Rwanda and southwest Uganda, making them another victim of the region’s civil wars.
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The reclassification is a recognition of cumulative work, and is solid proof that investing in the conservation of a species can be done, and is beneficial to everyone.
