The baseline population of wild Chinese pangolins, a critically endangered species under first-class national protection, has been established for the first time in Guangdong province at an estimated 1,778 individuals, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

With a baseline population density of 0.33 individuals per square kilometer, Chinese pangolin populations in the province are steadily recovering in some areas, the administration said, as quoted by news platform ThePaper.cn on Thursday.

In Meizhou, Heyuan and Huizhou — the species' primary distribution hubs in Guangdong — habitat quality continues to improve, the administration said.

Guangdong authorities said the province launched comprehensive monitoring of the species in 2020, deploying 690 infrared cameras across key distribution areas.

One of the last surviving groups of scaly mammals in the world, pangolins have existed for at least 50 million years. With nine known species, they primarily inhabit tropical and subtropical regions in Africa and Asia.

The Chinese pangolin was once widely distributed across southern China and neighboring countries.

Long-term illegal hunting and wildlife trafficking, fueled by demand for traditional Chinese medicine, as well as deforestation, have caused a sharp decline in the species' population.

Official data shows that about 64,000 wild Chinese pangolins lived in the country around 1998.

By 2008, the population had declined significantly, with estimates ranging from 25,100 to 49,450.

In 2014, the International Union for Conservation of Nature classified the Chinese pangolin as critically endangered.

China elevated its protection status from second-class to first-class national protection in 2020.

Also in 2020, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration established the pangolin protection research center in Guangzhou, Guangdong's capital. The center conducts research on wild population surveys and monitoring, population ecology, genetics, rescue and captive breeding, as well as rewilding and release.

China has made progress in Chinese pangolin conservation, the administration said.

In a media release in early March, it said substantial breakthroughs had been achieved in artificial breeding technology for the species, including the successful breeding of second-generation offspring.

It added that 35 Chinese pangolin distribution areas nationwide have been included in a list of key terrestrial wildlife habitats, forming a comprehensive in-situ conservation network for the species.