In a welcome piece of good news for the world’s 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 planet’s vanishing biodiversity.
The iconic Asian bears have officially been given a reprieve, as the organization that tracks endangered species moves the animals down a slot from their “Endangered” status. This news comes after decades of conservation and awareness campaigns, that saw the panda’s plight pushed front and center whenever we talk about endangered species.
The WWF (World Wildlife Fun) says that the loss of habitat caused by human development is largely to blame for the situation, noting that development including railways, roads, and dams caused panda populations to become more isolated, which limited their access to food. Pandas require about 26 to 84 pounds of the reedy plants each day, which means that they need access to large swaths of bamboo forests to survive. However, that isolation, combined with deforestation, starved the pandas of their food.
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 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 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 World Wide Fund For Nature (formally, the World Wildlife Fund) says that this is due to the proactive efforts of Chinese government. WWF, who uses the panda as its logo, says that the government has invested greatly in restoring panda populations, and has even worked on infrastructure projects to minimize the impacts to the panda’s natural habitat.
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.
“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.
References –
https://www.wwfca.org/en/panda_no_longer_endangered
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_panda
https://www.earthday.org/endangered-animals-now-thriving
https://www.greenmatters.com/nature/giant-panda-no-longer-endangered
