Good news for the Giant Panda. The population has grown - conservation
— IUCN Red List (@IUCNRedList) September 4, 2016
action works! https://t.co/Yn2uTcEWhJ pic.twitter.com/7ml13vAYgw
The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) has been in trouble for longer than most of us can remember. It was listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 1990, but the species has suffered from hunting and habitat loss as early as the 1930s. At one point, the number of pandas in the wild dwindled to about 1,000.
Though many people are convinced the Giant Panda is doomed for extinction thanks to its reluctance to breed in captivity, wild populations have actually rebounded dramatically over the past few decades. The Chinese government has been committed to restoring panda habitat and cracking down on poaching.
Finally, on September 4, the IUCN announced that it would be reducing the Giant Panda's conservation status from Endangered, to Vulnerable.
Things are looking up for this bamboo-eating bear.
"However," the IUCN warns, "climate change is predicted to eliminate more than 35% of the Panda's bamboo habitat in the next 80 years and thus Panda population is projected to decline, reversing the gains made during the last two decades."
The only way to make sure the Giant Panda continues to thrive in the wild is to fight climate change.
Fortunately, Toyota makes that easy. Toyota has earned an EPA ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award for 12 years running thanks to its responsible manufacturing practices, and offers an efficient line of cars and hybrids to reduce carbon emissions.
At Marion Toyota, we are also dedicated to protecting the environment through recycling programs, and using eco-friendly paint in our collision center.
