Despite clocking in at less than 2,000 individual creatures in the wilderness of the world, the population of giant pandas is considered to be in an upswing, according to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF).
In 2014, the black and white animals were at 1,864, which is a 16.8 percent increase over the past ten years. This is also a marked improvement given that there was only about 1,000 giant pandas during the 1970s.
To help increase the giant pandas' chances of survival, artist Ilja Klemencov of Russia came up with a mind-boggling way to raise awareness on the importance of animal conservation efforts.
Believe it or not, hidden in this seemingly mess of black and white zig-zags is an image of the giant panda, which some may recognize as the logo of the WWF.
As its title, "They Can Disappear" suggests, this piece of art pertains to how difficult it may become for people to spot giant pandas in the wild in the near future unless something is done about it.
The image has been making the rounds in social media, where some users claim that they were able to see the panda easily while others say they can't spot the animal.
The trick is for the viewer to take a step back from the zig-zag image, or to turn it slightly on a 90 degree angle to see the hiding giant panda.
The animals continue to suffer from the effects of fragmentation and habitat loss, both of which are keeping giant pandas from recovering their numbers more quickly.
"A large proportion of the panda's habitat has already been lost: logged for timber and fuel wood, or cleared for agriculture and infrastructure to meet the needs of the area's booming population," the WWF said.
In a census conducted by the State Administration of Forestry of China, officials discovered that the population of giant pandas in the country has considerably increased. From the 1,596 pandas recorded in 2003, there are now 1,864 of them in the wild by the end of 2013.
"These results are a testament to the conservation achievements of the Chinese government," Xiaohai Liu of WWF-China said.
"A lot of good work is being done for wild giant panda conservation and the government has done well to integrate these efforts and partner with conservation organizations, including WWF."
The iconic giant panda logo of the WWF was created in 9161 by the organization's founder chairman, Sir Pete Scott.
Photo: Claire Rowland | Flickr
