Giant panda no longer 'endangered' but iconic species still at risk
Last edited Mon Sep 5, 2016, 06:00 AM - Edit history (1)
In a welcome piece of good news for the worlds threatened wildlife, the giant panda has just been downgraded from Endangered to Vulnerable on the global list of species at risk of extinction, demonstrating how an integrated approach can help save our planets vanishing biodiversity.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced the positive change to the giant pandas official status in the Red List of Threatened Species, pointing to the 17 per cent rise in the population in the decade up to 2014, when a nationwide census found 1,864 giant pandas in the wild in China.
For over fifty years, the giant panda has been the globes most beloved conservation icon as well as the symbol of WWF. Knowing that the panda is now a step further from extinction is an exciting moment for everyone committed to conserving the worlds wildlife and their habitats, said Marco Lambertini, WWF Director General.
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, added Lambertini.
While the pandas status has improved, other species are under increasing threat, including the Eastern gorilla, which is now listed as critically endangered primarily due to poaching.
http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?277170/Giant-panda-no-longer-endangered-but-iconic-species-still-at-risk