Official claims giant pandas becoming less endangered

Yin Hong, deputy director of the State Forestry Administration; Liu Kun, deputy governor of Guangdong Province; Chen Guo, vice mayor of Guangzhou, and Su Zhigang, chairman of the Chimelong Group, attended the launching ceremony for the Asian Games giant panda group. Yin said that China's giant pandas are gradually becoming less endangered.

The world's oldest giant panda lives in Guangzhou

Among the 12 giant pandas, six were introduced from Ya'an City in Sichuan Province, and are only a little more than 1 year old. They have quickly adapted to life in Guangzhou. In the Asian Games giant panda group, there are two giant pandas whose ages are equivalent to 120-year-old humans. They were born in 1974 and 1977, and called Dong Dong and Ming Ming, respectively.

"After consulting a number of books, we are sure that Dong Dong, who was born in 1974, is the oldest giant panda in zoos. In addition, wild giant pandas cannot survive more than 30 years. Therefore, we can say Dong Dong is the world's oldest giant panda at present," experts said.

Giant pandas are gradually becoming less endangered

Yin said that China has currently established 62 giant panda nature reserves, covering 60 percent of their habitat and 70 percent of wild giant pandas. At present, there are 300 giant pandas in captivity and they are gradually becoming less endangered.

By People's Daily Online