At the end of 2003 there were 1,596 giant pandas in the wild, their numbers were declining and conservation measures were put in place. Now more than 10 years after that initial count, China’s giant panda population is reported to be making significant progress. In 2013 the giant panda count stood at 1,864, almost a 17 percent increase. Conservation efforts and additions to their protected habitat are the main factors contributing to the panda’s recovery.