Giant Panda Upgrade

by+Zi+Mei

On September 5， 2016， the Interna- tional Union for Conservation of Nature （IUCN） downgraded giant panda from “endangered” to “vulnerable”on the groups Red List of Threatened Species. Founded in 1964， the red list is widely recognized as the most comprehensive inventory of plant and animal species and the worlds main authority on the conservation status of species.

The red list covers nine categories， in which Critically Endangered （CR）， Endangered （EN） and Vulnerable （VU） highlight plants and animals that face a higher risk of global extinction.

Protection Work

The new designation is based on a nationwide census in China from 2011 to 2014， which found 1，864 giant pandas in the wild， not including cubs under the age of 18 months， a 17-percent rise over last decade. Efforts by the Chinese government have reversed the slide of the giant panda population and contributed to the rebound of the species. The improved situation confirms that the Chinese governments reforestation efforts， especially for bamboo forests and forest protection， are working， the IUCN said.

“When push comes to shove， the Chinese have done a really good job with pandas，” says John Robinson， primatologist and chief conservation officer at the Wildlife Conservation Society. “So few species actually get down-listed， so it really is a reflection of the success of conservation.”

China banned trading panda pelts in 1981， and the enactment of the 1988 Wildlife Protection Law banned poaching and conferred the highest protected status to the animal. The creation of a panda reserve system increased the number of available habitats. Today， 67 panda reserves including 26 national-level ones in China protect about 67 percent of the population， according to the World Wide Fund for Nature （WWF）.

Risk Remains

However， Marc Brody， a senior adviser for conservation and sustainable development at Chinas Wolong Nature Reserve， notes， “It is too early to conclude that pandas are actually increasing in the wild—perhaps we are simply getting better at counting wild pandas.”

“While the Chinese government deserves credit and support for recent progress in management of both captive and wild giant pandas ... there is no justifiable reason to downgrade the listing from endangered to threatened，” he continues.“In fact， ‘suitable or high-quality panda habitats are decreasing due to ongoing fragmentation from highway construction， active tourism development in Sichuan Province， and other human economic activities.”