Wild giant pandas increases to nearly 1,900

A panda rests on a wooden ladder at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province. [Photo by Du Chunsen/Provided to China Daily]

The total population of wild giant pandas in China has increased from around 1,100 in the 1980s to now nearly 1,900, changing their status from endangered to vulnerable species, according to the latest announcement from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Thursday.