Animals and Insects

The Panda Population Is Perking Up, But It Still Has A Long Way To Go

The World Wildlife Fund announced giant pandas are no longer considered endangered, but they're still vulnerable.

The Panda Population Is Perking Up, But It Still Has A Long Way To Go
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Article by Grant Suneson
SMS
September 4, 2016

Wildlife activists have long been concerned about the state of the giant panda's population. Now, it appears the panda is making a comeback.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature upgraded the black-and-white bear's status to vulnerable after it had been listed as endangered for more than 25 years.

SEE MORE: A Majority Of The World's Largest Animals Could Be Extinct By 2100

The World Wildlife Fund credited the Chinese government for creating panda reserves and limiting local impact on panda habitats.

While this is certainly good news for pandas, the population is far from thriving. The World Wildlife Fund estimates there are around 1,900 pandas left in the wild and just over 2,000 in total.

But human conservation is starting to help. On Saturday, a panda panda panda had twins in Atlanta. No word if Desiigner was there to witness it. 

Not everyone in the animal kingdom is celebrating, though. The IUCN downgraded two of the six great ape species from endangered to critically endangered.

It's important to remember that for every conservation success, there are lots of failures. It's almost impossible to account for every single plant and animal on the planet, but the World Wildlife Fund estimates anywhere between 200 and 100,000 species go extinct every year.