Panda Conservation: Once endangered species now a profitable ambassador

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Efforts to save China's giant panda are paying off around the world. The San Diego Zoo, one of the four in the U.S. that have these endangered species on display, is making a profit from its loan and conservation project. CGTN's PHIL LAVELLE reports from SAN DIEGO.

China's giant panda, an endangered species no more.

RON SWAISGOOD REPORT CO-AUTHOR "It's a great story of hope."

Because conservation efforts are paying off. And paying UP for China. Visitors in faraway lands, largely to thank.

CHRISTINA SIMMONS SAN DIEGO ZOO "People certainly like to come here to see pandas."

The U.S., for example. San Diego's Zoo regarded as world class, its pandas - on loan from China - a key attraction.

CHRISTINA SIMMONS SAN DIEGO ZOO "Not only is she the first female to successfully give birth in the US, but she's also produced six cubs for us."

And one of her cubs - six-year-old Xiao Liwu.

PHIL LAVELLE SAN DIEGO "San Diego is one of only a handful of zoos in the world - four in the U.S. - that have Chinese pandas on display. And it's the money those loans bring in to China that's helped them move from endangered species to 'vulnerable'. Not only that, these bears are actually making a profit."

A joint China-U.S. study shows $709 million in one year, 2010, from services including international panda loans. $1.9 billion from improving ecosystems around China's panda reserves subtract the $255 million a year, China spends on conservation equals a profit of $2.3 billion, or a 923% return.

RON SWAISGOOD REPORT CO-AUTHOR "Absolutely not. Panda conservation is continuing. We always thought that the Panda was a good return on investment. There's a lot of money spent on pandas and mostly on the preservation of their habitat of course. But what this study showed is that there's good returns on that investment."

Panda numbers are up. The latest official count in 2014 showing a ten-year rise of 17 percent. That put the total at 1,864 pandas in the wild in China. 67 nature reserves there, protecting about 2/3 of those wild pandas.

CHRISTINA SIMMONS SAN DIEGO ZOO "Most of the cubs that were being born to pandas in China were dying. And we set out to correct that, to learn more about giant panda reproduction, to learn more about maternal care and to determine how we could reverse the survivability issue."

And that's what's happening. But no time to be complacent:

CHRISTINA SIMMONS SAN DIEGO ZOO "It's about the long term conservation of the species."

The panda, not out of the woods yet. The goal very much - to keep them in there and thriving. Phil Lavelle, CGTN, San Diego.