The population of giant pandas endemic to China has increased to around 1,900 after their survival rate improved in captive breeding. Their status has been changed from endangered to vulnerable.

Experts say the breeding was the most difficult process. “In the early days, the artificial breeding of giant pandas was a big problem. Throughout the 1980s, we only bred one baby panda, which survived for two years,” Li Desheng, chief expert at China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, said.