Increase in Wild Panda Population in China... Escaping 'Endangered' Status

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Jo] The Chinese government has downgraded the endangered status of the wild giant panda from "endangered species" to "vulnerable species" due to an increase in their population.

According to the Beijing Daily on the 8th, the Department of Natural Ecology Protection under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced this decision as the wild giant panda population increased to around 1,800.

In addition, other endangered species such as the Northeast tiger (also known as the Baekdu Mountain tiger), Northeast leopard, Asian elephant, and crested ibis have also shown a significant increase in their populations.

As the population grew, in Heilongjiang Province, China, wild tigers descending to residential areas in search of food were captured attacking residents and vehicles, and in Yunnan Province, 15 elephants living in a nature reserve entered urban areas while migrating.

Furthermore, off the coast near Shenzhen in southern Guangdong Province, whales were sighted for several days this month, and rare endangered feline species were also spotted in northwestern Qinghai Province, attracting attention.

The Beijing Daily stated, "This shows the achievements China has made in biodiversity protection and ecological restoration to some extent," adding, "The natural ecosystem is being systematically and comprehensively protected, and the habitat environment for wild animals has been effectively improved."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.