Giant pandas no longer endangered in the wild, China announces

Authorities reclassify animal as vulnerable with a population outside captivity of 1,800

Giant pandas are no longer endangered in the wild, but they are still vulnerable with a population outside captivity of 1,800, Chinese officials have said after years of conservation efforts.

The head of the environment ministry's department of nature and ecology conservation, Cui Shuhong, said the reclassification was the result of improved living conditions and China's efforts in keeping their habitats integrated".