Twin Giant Panda Cubs Born at China Research Center

Although still threatened by habitat loss thanks to industry or agriculture, as well as developing new problems like climate change-driven wildfires and drought, pandas were therefore redefined as “vulnerable” rather than “endangered” by the International Union for Conversation of Nature in 2016.

Some captive-bred pandas have also been successfully released into the wild.

Also read: ASEAN, China Must Contribute to Regional Stability: Indonesian Minister

Chinese officials also said in 2021 that they no longer considered the animals endangered. China has taken a series of steps in the wild and in captivity designed to help the animals recover. This includes establishing the Giant Panda National Park, mainly in Sichuan province, designed to protect the animals’ habitat.

China also famously indulges in so-called “panda diplomacy,” loaning the rare and renowned animals to zoos or other suitable facilities around the world. Germany was awash with stories about this in 2017 when a pair of pandas relocated to Berlin zoo for an annual retainer of €1 million.

In 2019, twin cubs were born, the first pandas ever born in Germany. The two boys officially called Meng Xiang and Meng Yuan but nicknamed Pit and Paule started making public appearances last year. Once they no longer need their mother, they will return to China, assuming the terms of their parents’ original loan still stand.