National Panda Day

Today we are celebrating National Panda Day. It is also a good time to celebrate pandas being moved from endangered to vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. That small recovery is due to decades of conservation efforts; however, it would be silly to become complacent. The threat to pandas remains. Habitat destruction, climate change and increasing tourism are still issues.

Thriving in wildlife corridors

Pandas are thriving in certain Chinese national parks that have become wildlife corridors. Other animals such as leopards are also on the increase in these conservation areas. The diversity of animal numbers on the rise is encouraging.

Wildlife recovery

One such site is in Dujiangyan where WWF have been working to help restore bamboo forests. Recent footage of an adult giant panda inside the national park also captured a black bear with her cubs and a golden monkey. This glimpse of the diversity of species within the park shows that the conservation efforts are supporting a wildlife recovery.

Threats still an issue

There have been fantastic steps forward in saving this iconic species. That said, the effort needs to continue. Habitat loss is still a major threat so there is still lots of work required to safeguard the pandas future.

Adopting a panda is a great way to support that effort. Visit our Adopt a Panda page to find out more.