Giant panda no longer endangered - WWF

An undated photo of a wild giant panda. [Photo provided by WWF China/chinadaily.com.cn]

The giant panda has been downgraded from "Endangered" to "Vulnerable" on the global list of endangered species, reported World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on its website Sunday.

The giant panda's population grew by 17 percent in the decade leading up to 2014, announced the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). A census found 1,864 pandas in the wild in China in 2014.

The number of panda reserves in China has jumped to 67 from 13 in 1992. Nearly two-thirds of all wild pandas live in these reserves, according to the WWF.

"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," said Marco Lambertini, WWF Director General.

Despite the improved status, the giant panda in the wild still faces great challenges, with many of their habitats under increasing threat from human activities such as the construction of infrastructure, said Lo Sze-ping, director general of WWF in China.

The panda logo of WWF was designed by the organization's founding chairman Sir Peter Scott in 1961. WWF became the first international organization to work in China 20 years later.