Giant pandas no longer endangered but still ‘vulnerable’, says China

The giant panda has been downgraded from “Endangered” to “Vulnerable” after their population in the wild reached more than 1,800, officials in China have said.

During a press conference in Beijing, Cui Shuhong, head of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment’s Department of Nature and Ecology Conservation, announced that “China has established a relatively complete system of protected natural areas.”

He added that the latest classification developments for giant pandas “reflect their improved living conditions and China’s efforts in keeping their habitats integrated.”