The most recent Red List also contained bad news for the Eastern gorilla, which was placed on the critically endangered list.
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The population of the Eastern Gorilla – which consists of two subspecies – has fallen by more than 70 percent over the last two decades, largely due to illegal hunting for bushmeat and the destruction of their habitat.
A leading worldwide group has removed the giant panda from its endangered list thanks to decades of conservation efforts.
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.
Giant pandas are icons of the conservation movement – they even appear on the logo of the World Wildlife Fund.
They celebrated the panda’s re-classification and said aggressive investment pays off “when science, political will and engagement of local communities come together”.
Over the years, China has implemented a series of environmental initiatives, including the establishment of nature reserves, to increase the giant panda population.
Giant pandas are no longer threatened with extinction after years of conservation efforts, an global environmental group said, but the Chinese government says it is “too early” to make such a call. Giant Pandas, meanwhile, are experiencing a comeback as conservation efforts pay off.
However, gorillas found in East Africa are sliding towards extinction, conservationists have warned as the primates were classed as critically endangered. One subspecies Grauer’s gorilla has lost nearly 80 percent of its population in past two decades and their numbers have dropped drastically from 16,900 individuals in 1994 to just 3,800 individuals in 2015 while the other subspecies only has around 880 individuals.
“If the conservation status is downgraded, protection work might slacken off and both the panda population and their habitat are more likely to suffer irreversible loss”, he added.
The organization praised the measures implemented by the Chinese government to conserve this species, naming them a “positive step” that “must be strongly supported”.
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The IUCN Red List mentions 82,954 flora and faunae species. There are now fewer than 5,000 Eastern gorillas in the wild. “But as conservators, we know that the situation of the wild panda is still very risky”, Shi said.
