The growth of the wild giant panda population in Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province indicates their living conditions have been improved and China's efforts to protect their habitats have paid off.

There are more than 50 giant pandas in the Ya'an Bifeng Canyon Panda Base and 1,864 wild pandas, and the numbers continue to grow, according to Huang Zhi, deputy head of Administrative Office, China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda.

The population growth is attributed to the efforts to protect giant pandas' habitats.

Since 2019, nine coal mines were closed in Ya'an, phasing out 1.11 million tonnes of coal production capacity. With the improvements in the local ecology, the population of wild giant pandas is also on the rise.

The improved ecology has not only provided local villagers with a better living environment, but also created opportunities to earn more money.

In Ya'an's Zhougongshan Township, towering green stalks form a vast stretch of bamboo sea with an area of nearly 3,300 hectares, purifying the air, conserving the water and soil, and serving as an industry for local villagers to make extra money without leaving home to look for jobs.

(Cover via VCG)

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