Number of captive pandas reaches 520 worldwide

As of October 6, 2017, organizations in and out of China have altogether cultivated 63 giant pandas, in which 58 have successfully survived, pushing the total number of captive giant pandas to 520 worldwide, Chinanews.com reported.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding has bred 11 surviving giant panda cubs in 8 litters, and the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda has bred 42 surviving pandas in 30 litters. Giant pandas sent to France, the U.S., Japan, Spain, Belgium, and Vienna have also successfully given birth to cubs.

The figures and facts were released in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province on Tuesday, when experts from around the world met for the start of the annual conference of the Chinese Committee of Breeding Techniques for Giant Pandas.

The experts, 69 international giant panda breeding technique researchers from 13 countries and 191 domestic experts, will introduce the current situation of panda protection and plan for better captive pandas breeding and releasing captive giant pandas into the wild, among other things.

Xie Zhong, vice president of the China Wildlife Conservation Association, said the number of captive pandas is stable now, and initial progress has been made in wildness training of giant pandas, releasing pandas to the wild, and building up the number of giant pandas.