The giant panda remains vulnerable, but Chinese authorities have finally confirmed what the IUCN had already established: the species is no longer at risk of extinction.
Wwf (World Wildlife Fund), one of the world's most important organisations for the protection of biodiversity, may be forced to change its logo. Jokes aside, the news coming out of China is wonderful: the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is no longer at risk of extinction.
Although the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had already removed the giant panda from its list of endangered species, classifying it as "vulnerable" in 2016, Chinese authorities had until now refused to accept this decision, considering it dangerous on the grounds that it could weaken efforts to safeguard this iconic animal — a symbol of the Asian nation and regarded as a true "national treasure". Now, at last, the panda is no longer considered endangered in China either; the call not to lower one's guard, however, remains.
There are currently 1,800 individuals living in the wild. Long-term conservation programmes, combined with the country's commitment to creating a fairly extensive system of nature reserves in order to systematically and comprehensively protect vast areas of ecosystems, have undoubtedly contributed to the growth of the giant panda population. This is reported by China's Minister of Ecology and Environment, Cui Shuhong.
At the end of 2019, China had 11,800 nature reserves, covering an area equivalent to 18 per cent of the country's surface. Naturalists have also applauded the replenishment of bamboo forests — the plant that makes up 99 per cent of a panda's diet. Indeed, the most serious threats to the species have always been deforestation, habitat loss and poaching.
The announcement was welcomed with enthusiasm by the WWF, which has made the black-and-white bear its own emblem. The organisation, among other things, has helped establish protected areas in China that have allowed pandas to move, feed and breed in safety. The WWF also works alongside veterinarians at the Wolong reserve, who are engaged on a daily basis in caring for the species. Together with other associations, it has developed innovative techniques to protect pandas — camera traps: high-tech cameras, connected to one another via satellite, that capture every moment of these animals' biological cycle, flagging any threats to their survival.
The giant panda population is not the only one recovering on Chinese territory: the numbers of Siberian tigers, Asian elephants and crested ibises are growing rapidly, while the Tibetan antelope and the milu deer can count on habitats whose condition is improving.
Just as the local government has reiterated, these positive figures should not lead us to rest on our laurels; on the contrary, they should instil new hope and spur us all to commit even more to conserving the extraordinary biodiversity of our planet. The panda shows that, truly in this case, nothing is impossible. You just have to put your heart into it.