IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) researched wild animals facing extinction and edited the “red list”,which identifies endangered animals.
Giant Panda and lesser panda are endangered animals and they are ranked 4th.
So, in 2005, the Chinese government had established about 720 pandas to live in a protected habitat.
However, habitat destruction and poaching poses a threat to the many pandas living outside these areas.
Today, only around 980 pandas are under protection in reserves.
Now, the Chinese government works to increase panda’s population by increasing panda’s habitat and decreasing many threats to pandas.
Sources
http://www.panda.org/index.cfm
http://www.panda-panda.com/gekkan/index.html