Giant Pandas Are No Longer Listed as Endangered Species

The International Union for Conservation of Nature announced on Monday that giant pandas are no longer listed as an “endangered” species.

The giant pandas are not completely off the list, however their status has now been moved to “vulnerable.”

According to the IUCN, the “population has grown due to effective forest protection and reforestation. The improved status confirms that the Chinese government’s efforts to conserve this species are effective.”

The World Wildlife Fund, which uses the giant panda as its logo to show the conservation efforts, was thrilled to hear the news about the giant pandas.

“Knowing that the panda is now a step further from extinction is an exciting moment for everyone committed to conserving the world’s wildlife and their habitats,” WWF director general Marco Lambertini shared in a statement.

Hungry for the weekend? You’re not alone – pandas also have quite the appetite! A newborn panda, which is about the same size as a stick of butter, can weigh up to 330 pounds as an adult. Their diets consist mainly of bamboo, and the average panda can eat anywhere from 26 to 84 pounds per day. No wonder they’re called the "giant" panda!

A post shared by World Wildlife Fund (@world_wildlife) on Aug 11, 2016 at 11:34am PDT

According to the WWF, the giant panda population grew around 17 percent from 2004 to 2014. Even with the increase in population, the pandas are still in a risky situation.

The IUCN shared that the panda’s climate is still in danger explaining, “climate change is predicted to eliminate more than 35 percent of the Panda’s bamboo habitat in the next 80 years and thus Panda population is projected to decline, reversing the gains made during the last two decades.”

Check out more about the pandas on the WWF website.

(H/T A Plus)