giant panda numbers rise
The symbol of conservation
In 2016, the Giant Panda's conservation status improved from endangered to vulnerable, with the overall population rising steadily by 17%. The Chinese government has been breeding the pandas in captivity for a number of years and is now beginning to release them back into the wild.
However, the Chinese government has since pledged more than a billion dollars for a 10,000 square mile panda national reserve to connect those separated groups of pandas.
The Giant Pandas’ success story is down to two factors: a noticeable decrease in poaching as well as in increase in protected areas. There are now 67 nature reserves covering over half of the pandas’ range.
Although this is a rare success story, the Giant Panda is still vulnerable to extinction and will require much more protection to stabilise population numbers.