The number of giant pandas in the wild in China has reached more than 1,800 and their status has been upgraded from "endangered" to "vulnerable," the Chinese government said on Wednesday.

周三，中国政府表示，中国野外的大熊猫数量已经达到1800多只，它们的等级已经从“濒危”降为“易危”。

Apart from wild giant pandas, the living conditions of rare and endangered species such as the Tibetan antelope and Père David's deer, also known as the milu, have improved.

除野生大熊猫外，藏羚羊和麋鹿等珍稀濒危物种的生活条件也得到了改善。

There have been many media reports on wild animals showing up across China recently, said Cui Shuhong, Director of the Department of Nature and Ecology Conservation under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

生态环境部自然生态保护司司长崔书红说，最近有许多媒体报道了中国各地出现的野生动物。

As an example, Cui mentioned that in northwest China's Qinghai province, people took photos of the Chinese mountain cat, a species under China's national first-level animal protection, being dubbed as one of the most mysterious felines in the world. There have been very few records of this species for many years, he said.

崔书红提到，比如在中国西北部的青海省，人们拍摄了中国山猫的照片，这是中国国家一级保护动物，被誉为世界上最神秘的猫科动物之一。他说，多年来关于这一物种的记录非常少。

In March, the People's Daily published photos of the precious rufous-necked hornbill taken by nature photographers in the mountains of southwest Yunnan province.

3月，《人民日报》刊登了自然摄影师在云南省西南部山区拍摄的珍贵棕颈犀鸟的照片。

Media coverage on Siberian tigers entering villages, wild Asian elephants marching in Yunnan and a whale spotted in a bay in south China's Guangdong province, have also attracted public attention, Cui said.

崔书红补充到，关于西伯利亚虎进入村庄、亚洲野生大象在云南游行以及中国南方广东省的一个海湾发现鲸鱼的媒体报道也吸引了公众的注意。

These reflect, to some extent, China's achievements in the protection of biodiversity and ecological restoration, noted Cui.

崔书红指出，这些在一定程度上反映了中国在保护生物多样性和生态恢复方面的成就。

China has established a relatively complete system of protected natural areas, Cui said, adding that China's wildlife habitats have effectively improved and large natural ecosystems have been systematically and completely protected.

崔书红说，中国已经建立了一个相对完整的自然保护区体系，并补充说，中国的野生动物栖息地得到有效改善，大型自然生态系统也得到了完全的、系统性的保护。

In 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature upgraded the status of pandas from "endangered" to "vulnerable".

2016年，国际自然保护地联盟将大熊猫的等级从“濒危”降到“易危”。

At the time, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said in its updated Red List of Threatened Species that "previously listed as endangered, The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is now listed as vulnerable, as its population has grown due to effective forest protection and reforestation."

当时，国际自然保护地联盟在其更新的濒危物种红色名录中说：“以前被列为濒危的大熊猫现在被列为易危，由于有效的森林保护和重新造林，它的数量已经增加。”

It could be seen on the website of the International Union for Conservation of Nature that for most vulnerable species, populations are continuing to decline or are barely flat, making the upward trend of the populations of pandas especially obvious.
在国际自然保护地联盟的网站上可以看到，对于大多数易危的物种来说，种群数量在持续下降或几乎持平，因此大熊猫种群的上升趋势尤为明显。

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin commented on a press briefing that in today's China, the concept that "clear waters and green mountains are as valuable as mountains of gold and silver" has long been deeply recognized. "'Respecting nature, following nature, and protecting nature' is becoming a conscious code of conduct for governments at all levels and the general public," he said.

外交部发言人汪文斌在新闻发布会上说，在当今的中国，“绿水青山就是金山银山”的理念早已深入人心，“尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然”正成为各级政府和广大人民自觉的行为规范。

With the theme "Low-Carbon Transition, Eco-Development — Building A Life Community of Humans and the Natural World Together", the 2021 Eco Forum Global is to be held this month in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou province. China is also to hold the COP 15 UN Biodiversity Conference in Kunming, Yunnan province this year.

以“低碳转型绿色发展——共同构建人与自然生命共同体”为主题的2021年生态文明贵阳国际论坛即将于本月举办。中方还将于10月承办联合国《生物多样性公约》第十五次缔约方大会。

Wang said that China is willing to continue cooperating with the international community on ecological and environmental protection, therefore jointly taking care of the earth on which we live.

汪文斌说，中国愿继续同各方一道，不断加强生态保护和环境治理国际合作，共同保护我们赖以生存的地球家园。

Chinese netizens are more than delighted to hear this news. Some made jokes that "it would be great if someday the pandas could be classified as 'pets'!"

中国网民听到这个消息后，更加高兴了。一些人开玩笑说，“如果有一天大熊猫能被列为‘宠物’，那就太好了！”

Some urged that it is also very important to strengthen the protection of other endangered animals and that we still have a long way to go.

一些人敦促说，加强对其他濒危动物的保护也非常重要，我们仍有很长的路要走。

大熊猫：我被迫降级了，你们还爱我吗？丨Panda protection increases populations 03:52 Share

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大熊猫：我被迫降级了，你们还爱我吗？丨Panda protection increases populations