Pandas Off the ‘Endangered’ Species List, But Still ‘Vulnerable’

Panda populations are on the rise, placing them lower on the list of endangered animals.

The Giant Panda has officially made it off the endangered animals list, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature announced. Populations have risen by 17 percent between 2004 and 2014, bringing the total number of adult Pandas to more than 1,800.

Pandas are now classified as ‘Vulnerable’ rather than ‘Endangered,’ according to the IUCN standards.

The species was decimated by habitat fragmentation from development in the Yangtze Basin. Pandas were also victims of poaching.

Stringent conservation efforts brought Pandas back from the brink of extinction. Around 1.4 million hectares of land were allocated for Pandas, and 67 reserves were developed since 1992 to protect them.

But they battle for Giant Panda survival is not over. In the next 80 years, the creature’s habitat in Western China is expected to decrease by about one-third due to climate change-related factors.

The recovery of the panda shows that when science, political will and engagement of local communities come together, we can save wildlife and also improve biodiversity. 

Marco Lambertini, General Director of WWF