Pandas could be wiped out just as conservationists think they are recovering, warns study

The 'panda survival crisis' remains serious, scientists say, despite the animals' recent reclassification as 'vulnerable' rather than 'endangered'

Ian Johnston Environment Correspondent 

Giant pandas could be wiped out despite conservation efforts being hailed as a success, according to a new study.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently decided the bear was no longer officially “endangered” but was merely “vulnerable” to extinction.

This still means the animal faces as “high risk of extinction in the wild” – rather than the previous “very high” chance – but the new research suggested its true plight was perhaps being underestimated.

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