The Giant Panda Is No Longer Endangered But It Is Still At Risk

In what can only be described as an amazing milestone and breakthrough in conservation efforts, the giant panda is no longer classified as an endangered species, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature announced on Sunday. The animal has long been considered a symbol of conservation, and it looks like all of the years spent in trying to rescue the species from extinction are finally paying off.

A BIG win for #conservation! Giant #pandas are no longer classified as endangered: https://t.co/UzaSyLFIn9 pic.twitter.com/ASJzq79IbP

— WWF (@WWF) September 4, 2016

According to a statement released by the WWF, the panda population has seen a 17 percent increase within the last decade leading up to 2014 and has downgraded the species from “endangered” to “vulnerable” on the Red List of Threatened Species which is managed by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). A nationwide consensus found 1,850 giant pandas living in the wild in China which is up from the 2003 census of 1,600.

“The recovery of the panda shows that when science, political will and engagement of local communities come together, we can save wildlife and improve biodiversity,” said WWF Director General Marco Lambertini.

For years, the WWF, a non-profit organization dedicated to wilderness preservation, has been working valiantly to save the species from extinction by developing and establishing reserves and working together with local communities to help minimize their overall impact on forests and establish sustainable livelihoods. As of the present, there is a total of 67 reserves which help house two-thirds of all wild panda populations.

The panda was first put on the endangered species list in 1990, but the success in its conservation can be attributed to two main factors: a significant decrease in poaching, which was prominent during the 1980’s; and a huge expansion of its protected natural habitat.

WWF Senior Vice President for Conservation Ginette Hemley says that “it’s a good day to be a panda” and that they are thrilled by the progress that their efforts have made. She also mentioned that the Tibetan antelope, an endangered species which has been hunted for its fur for decades, is also recovering and is now categorized as near-threatened according to the Red List.

M. Sanjayan, a senior scientist for Conservation International, thinks that it is a deserved status. “The Chinese government has put in 30 years of hard work in pandas – they are not going to let the panda go extinct, ” said Sanjayan.

While this milestone is definitely something to be celebrated, the species still faces many dangers. Lo Sze Ping, CEO of WWF-China says that a good portion of the panda’s natural habitat remains under threat from poorly planned infrastructure projects and that the animal still remains vulnerable and scattered. He also reminded people that there are “still only 1864 pandas remaining in the wild.”

Marc Brody, a senior adviser for conservation at the Wolong Nature Reserve in China, says that it is still too early to conclude that the number of pandas in the wild are actually increasing. “Perhaps we are simply getting better at counting wild pandas,” said Brody.

While he praises the Chinese government for its contributions to the preservation of both wild and captive pandas, he believes that there is still no valid or justifiable reason for the species to be downgraded from “endangered” to “threatened.”

The IUCN has also predicted that at least 35 percent of the animal’s natural bamboo habitat could get wiped out by climate change.

Some reasons as to why quality or suitable habits for pandas are gradually decreasing include active tourism in China’s Sichuan Province, ongoing fragmentation from the construction of highways, and other human economic activities. The wild panda population might be recovering, but the species is not out of the woods yet.

[Photo by Vincent Thian/AP Images]