China to create 'giant' giant panda reserve to boost wild population

China to create 'giant' giant panda reserve to boost wild population
- The 10,476 sq mile (27,134 sq km) area will link up 67 existing panda reserves on six isolated mountain ranges. It is hoped the “merger” will help the pandas mingle and mate, thus enriching the gene pool, the state news agency Xinhua reported.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) reclassified the giant panda last year from endangered to vulnerable, after their numbers rose by 17% between 2003 and 2013.
An estimated 1,864 pandas live in the wild, where the main threat is habitat loss; China wants to increase the number to 2,000 by 2025.
As well as the giant panda, the national park will help protect 8,000 endangered animals and plants, Xinhua said.


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