The results of the Fourth Giant Panda Survey
The State Forestry Administration, P.R.China has announced that there are 1,864 wild giant pandas in China, according to the latest Fourth National Giant Panda Survey.
The numbers:
* 1.864 estimated minimum population of wild giant pandas
* 16.8% increase in wild panda numbers over the past decade
* 11.8% increase of giant panda geographic range since 2003
How does this compare with past figures ? The first survey (1974-77) estimated there were 2,459 giant pandas in the wild. The second (1985-88) estimated 1,114. The third survey, published in 2004, estimated there were 1,596.
Wild giant pandas, a global symbol of wildlife conservation, are found only in China’s Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. There are currently 67 panda nature reserves in China, an increase of 27 since the last survey. The survey found that 1,246 wild giant pandas live within nature reserves. The approximately 33.2% that live outside protected areas face higher risks to their survival as major infrastructure projects cause large-scale habitat loss.
