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China's environmental policies are rarely worth celebrating, but with Beijing's help, the giant panda appears to be making a comeback. In the most comprehensive survey of the giant-panda population ever taken, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Chinese State Forestry Administration have found almost 1,600 of the endangered pandas in the wild—nearly 50% more than were previously known to exist.

The increase is "very encouraging news," says Li Ning, a communications officer at WWF China—especially since attempts to boost the panda population in captivity have been getting increasingly desperate. Efforts by Chinese researchers—from attempting to mass-produce the animals by cloning to encouraging intercourse using sex dolls and pornographic videos—have had little success; there are still only 161 pandas in captivity worldwide, according to the WWF.

These setbacks have helped solidify Beijing's commitment to preserving the animals in the wild. A commercial-logging ban in 1998 allowed the WWF and provincial governments to establish numerous wildlife reserves—there are now more than 40, compared with 13 when the last panda survey was taken in the late '80s—along with bamboo-forested corridors linking them. These corridors are crucial, explains Li, because they connect the fragmented panda habitats and, in theory, allow the animals to find mates more easily.

Although the panda population is undoubtedly larger than 20 years ago, the WWF says that it has also simply gotten better at counting. Satellite photography, computers and better access on the ground give researchers a more accurate reading. If the giant panda population is to grow further, China must continue to expand its network of linked nature reserves—which Li says will also benefit some of China's other endangered species, such as the golden monkey and the takin. If that happens, China's environmental critics will have even better news to celebrate.

• Jeff Plunkett
• New research shows China's giant panda population may be seeing a resurgence