In a world where wildlife is constantly threatened, the giant panda has just been listed as ‘Vulnerable’ instead of ‘Endangered’ on the global list of species at risk of extinction, and that’s a huge step forward for the animal kingdom.
There has been a 17% rise in the population in the decade up to 2014, when a nationwide census recorded 1,864 giant pandas in the wild in China. This is surely a celebratory moment for those committed to conserving wildlife and their habitats.
As most of you may know, WWF has a panda logo and it became the first international organisation to work in China on initiatives to save giant pandas and their habitat. Their efforts have seen the number of panda reserves hit 67, which protect nearly two-thirds of all wild pandas.
While the panda’s status is improved, other species like the Eastern gorilla is now listed as critically endangered.
