BY MARIA GALLUCCI From Mashable

Giant pandas, break out your best bamboo. You’re no longer considered an endangered species.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on Sunday moved the black-eared, white-faced bears from “endangered” to “vulnerable” on its Red List of Threatened Species.

But eastern gorillas, the world’s largest living primate, have little reason to celebrate.

The ape species is now listed as “critically endangered,” the last step before an animal is considered extinct, the IUCN said during its World Conservation Congress in Hawaii.

The conservation union cited illegal hunting as it downgraded the eastern gorilla’s status on its global list, which contains more than 80,000 species — roughly one-third of which are threatened with extinction.

Only an estimated 5,000 eastern gorillas remain in the forests of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, southwestern Uganda and Rwanda, the IUCN said. That’s a roughly 70-percent decline over the past two decades.

“To see the eastern gorilla — one of our closest cousins — slide toward extinction is truly distressing,” Inger Andersen, IUCN director general, said in a statement.

“Conservation action does work and we have increasing evidence of it. It is our responsibility to enhance our efforts to turn the tide and protect the future of our planet,” she added.

Case in point: the giant panda.

The IUCN said the giant panda population rose by 17 percent to 1,864 adults in the decade up to 2014. Adding cubs to the projection would mean roughly 2,060 giant pandas exist today, according to the conservation union.

The improvement follows decades of conservation work in China, including intensive efforts by the Chinese government to replant bamboo forests — the bears’ main source of food and shelter — and launch captive breeding programs and partnerships with zoos.
“Knowing that the panda is now a step further from extinction is an exciting moment for everyone committed to conserving the world’s wildlife and their habitats,” Marco Lambertini, director general of the World Wildlife Fund, whose logo is of a giant panda, said in a statement.

“The recovery of the panda shows that when science, political will and engagement of local communities come together, we can save wildlife and also improve biodiversity,” Lambertini said.

Despite their rising ranks, giant pandas still face mounting threats as human development and pollution encroach on their natural habitats.

“Everyone should celebrate this achievement, but pandas remain scattered and vulnerable,” Lo Sze Ping, CEO of the World Wildlife Fund in China, said in a statement.

“Much of their habitat is threatened by poorly-planned infrastructure projects, and remember: There are still only 1,864 left in the wild,” he said.

IMAGES:
Grauer’s gorilla, the world’s largest gorilla subspecies. IMAGE: A.J.PLUMPTRE/WCS

IMAGE: MARTHA DE JONG-LANTINK/IUCN

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