Giant pandas no longer endangered in the wild

Last Updated11/07/2021

Giant pandas are no longer classified as endangered but are still vulnerable, Chinese officials say.
The classification was downgraded as their number in the wild has reached 1,800.
Country managed to save its iconic animal through its long-term conservation efforts, including the expansion of habitats.

The panda has a distinctive black and white coat
It is considered a national treasure in China.
In 1869, Pere Armand David, a French missionary and naturalist, was the first Westerner to describe a panda.
Referred to as a “living fossil,” the Giant Panda is believed to have existed since the Pleistocene age, approximately 3 million years ago.
They are found living in the wild in a small area in Southwestern China along the Tibetan Plateau.

Scientists have determined through DNA testing that the Giant Panda is actually a member of the bear family.
Giant Pandas’ diet consists almost entirely of bamboo stalks, shoots and roots.
They eat from 25 to 40 pounds per day. There are about 25 different types of bamboo.
Pandas eat for up to 14 hours a day. Their unique paws make it possible for them to hold the bamboo and bite the stalks.
Unlike other bears, Giant Pandas do not store fat and therefore do not hibernate. Consequently, they are constantly in search of food.

A study in 2014 by the Chinese Department of Forestry estimated the current population of the wild Giant Pandas at approximately 1,864.
As of 2020 there are approximately 600 giant pandas in captivity.
The new classification by China’s environmental ministry comes years after the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had already removed the animal from its endangered species list and re-labelled it as vulnerable in 2016.
At the time, however, Chinese officials had disputed the decision, saying that it could mislead people into believing that conservation efforts could be relaxed."