In a welcome
piece of good news for the world’s threatened wildlife, the giant panda has
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 planet’s vanishing biodiversity.
The
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced the positive
change to the giant panda’s official status in the Red List of Threatened
Species, pointing to the 17% 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 50
years, the giant panda has been the globe’s 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
world’s 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.”
While the
panda’s status has improved, other species are under increasing threat,
including the Eastern gorilla that is now listed as critically endangered, just
one step away from extinction, and due primarily to poaching. WWF’s panda logo
was designed by the organization’s founding chairman, the naturalist and
painter Sir Peter Scott in 1961. Twenty years later, WWF became the first
international organization to work in China.
Ever since,
WWF has been working with the government on initiatives to save giant pandas
and their habitat, including helping to establish an integrated network of
giant panda reserves and wildlife corridors to connect isolated panda
populations as well as working with local communities to develop sustainable
livelihoods and minimize their impact on the forests.
These
efforts have seen the number of panda reserves jump to 67, which now protect
nearly two-thirds of all wild pandas. They have also helped to safeguard large
swathes of mountainous bamboo forests, which shelter countless other species
and provide natural services to vast numbers of people, including tens of
millions who live alongside rivers downstream of panda habitat.
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