March 3, 2025, marks the 12th World Wildlife Day. According to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, China’s flagship species have continued to show a steady increase in population in recent years, with their habitats gradually improving. China is home to abundant wildlife resources, including around 3,100 species of terrestrial vertebrates and 130,000 named insect species. The country also has over 38,000 species of higher plants, with more than 4,000 classified as rare and endangered.
According to the latest monitoring data:
- The wild giant panda population has grown from around 1,100 in the 1980s to nearly 1,900 today.
- Snow leopards have recovered to over 1,200 individuals.
- The populations of Amur tigers and Amur leopards have increased from 27 and 42 in 2017 (when the national park system pilot was launched) to around 70 and 80, respectively.
- The wild Hainan gibbon population has grown from fewer than 10 individuals in two groups 40 years ago to 42 individuals in seven groups today.
- Crested ibis, once reduced to just seven individuals, have now increased to over 7,000.
- The wild Asian elephant population has expanded from around 150 to over 300.
- The Tibetan antelope population has recovered from 60,000–70,000 in the late 1990s to over 300,000.
In addition, the wild Cycas panzhihuaensis population has grown from 234,000 in the 1980s–90s to 389,000, making it the northernmost, highest-altitude, largest, and most concentrated natural cycad community in Eurasia. Conservation efforts have also successfully reintroduced 206 endangered plant species – such as Cycas debaoensis, Paphiopedilum armeniacum, Primulina tabacum, and Dalbergia odorifera – back into the wild.
Moreover, species such as Manglietia sinica and Ilex yunnanensis have been effectively protected and restored. The Manglietia sinica population has grown from just six trees to over 15,000, while the Baishanzu fir, once reduced to only three trees, has now been successfully reintroduced, with over 4,000 individuals in the wild. Similarly, the Putuo hornbeam, once reduced to a single individual, now has over 4,000 wild specimens and tens of thousands of cultivated seedlings.