What is the outlook for the panda?
Current estimate of 1600 pandas Efforts to save the endangered panda appear to be helping in the short term. The newest population study on wild pandas does show an increase over previous counts. The Chinese government has released the results of the most comprehensive survey of giant pandas ever. It found that there were around 1,600 pandas left in the wild, 40% more than previous figures. But, the numbers may reflect the fact that the survey was more thorough, rather than a genuine recovery in numbers, so an actual increase in pandas is uncertain, but possible. Even at 1600, their survival is still in extreme peril. “Because of improved census methods, we have a more accurate count of how many there are in the wild, where they are, and the state of the habitat on which they depend,” said World Wildlife Fund China’s (WWF) James Harkness. “The results of the survey will be used to help ensure that over the next few years we make even greater strides to protect this rare and precious an
