Panda no longer endangered. China’s announcement is 5 years late

by time news

China has eliminated the panda from the list of animals at risk of extinction. The announcement was made by the Beijing Ministry of Ecology and Environment and “reflects China’s improved living conditions and efforts to maintain their integrated habitat”, said the head of the Ecological Conservation Department. Cui Shuhong.

The panda remains vulnerable but no longer “in danger” of extinction

Despite the reclassification, the panda still remains “vulnerable”, and only 1,800 individuals live in non-captivity in China. The announcement comes five years after the removal of the panda from the same list compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Geneva, a decision not approved by Beijing at the time, which often underlines its efforts against the extinction of the bear, considered a national heritage in China and also used in diplomacy.

China improves the situation of forests and green areas

The removal of the panda from the category of endangered animals was welcomed by social media users in China, while experts stressed that the success in conservation policy is mainly due to the efforts to recreate and repopulate the panda. bamboo forests, food that makes up 99% of the panda’s diet. In addition to pandas, according to Beijing’s estimates, there has also been an increase in the number of other endangered species such as Siberian tigers, Amur leopards, crested ibises and Asian elephants.

The yellow on the 2016 announcement

The singular aspect of the story is that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had already removed giant pandas from the list of endangered species since 2016, reclassifying them as “vulnerable”. On that occasion, however, Beijing contested the decision, stating that it could lead to mitigating efforts for the conservation of these animals.

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