China's pandas on the up
HONG KONG, China -- China's giant panda appears to have eased back from the brink of extinction, with a new survey finding a 40 percent jump in the mammal's population in 16 years.
A new Chinese government survey shows 1,590 giant pandas now roam China's forests -- compared to 1,110 found in 1985-1988 research.
A further 161 pandas have been raised in captivity.
But the animal still faces the danger of extinction from hunting and logging of their isolated mountain habitat in the nation's southwest.
The study is the first comprehensive research undertaken since 1988 and forestry officials hailed efforts to improve and expand the fussy panda's habitat.
"We can say with complete confidence that our panda protection has achieved important results," Zhuo Rongsheng, director of the Department of Wildlife Conservation under the State Forestry Administration, told a news conference.
The study did not include pandas less than 18 months old.
The survey may also represent a more thorough count of pandas compared to the 1988 research, and not a genuine recovery of the population.
Pandas are one of the world's rarest animals and 15 years ago environmentalists warned the mammal's demise was imminent.
Pandas are notoriously difficult breeders, forcing Chinese scientists to try everything to encourage them to mate including showing panda porn films.
They have a particular diet, preferring arrow bamboo, are prone to disease and are very choosy over their habitats, Zhou said.
"With this kind of species we cannot lower our guard and think that we have solved a critical problem," he said.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
