Populations of flagship species of wildlife in China have continued growing, and the habitats and breeding environment have been steadily improved, said the National Forestry and Grassland Administration ahead of the 12th World Wildlife Day, which falls on Monday.

The World Wildlife Day was designated by the United Nations in 2013 to enhance awareness of the world's wild fauna and flora. In China, this year's theme is "increase investment in species protection and build a community of life on Earth."

China boasts rich biodiversity, with approximately 3,100 species of terrestrial vertebrates and over 130,000 named insects. The country is also home to more than 38,000 higher plant species, including over 4,000 rare and endangered wild plants.

In recent years, China has constantly refined its legal framework for wildlife protection, implementing nationwide projects for wildlife conservation, advancing the construction of national botanical gardens, and prioritizing the development of a natural protected area system centered around national parks. These efforts have led to a sustained growth in the populations of flagship wildlife species.

The latest monitoring data indicates significant progress in the conservation of key species.

The wild population of giant pandas has increased from around 1,100 in the 1980s to nearly 1,900. The snow leopard population has rebounded to over 1,200 individuals. The numbers of Amur tigers and leopards have risen from 27 and 42, respectively, at the inception of the national park system pilot in 2017 to around 70 and 80 each. The Asian elephant population has grown from over 150 to more than 300, while the population of crested ibises has surged from seven to over 7,000 since their initial discovery.

Species like the Hainan gibbon and Tibetan antelope have also shown noticeable growth in their respective population in the wild. Meanwhile, a total of 206 endangered plant species have successfully been reintroduced into the wild, with several plant species having benefited from effective conservation and recovery measures.