Zoologists have long [mailed / hailed] saving the giant panda from the brink of extinction as a conservation success story. For [decadence / decades] , the panda has been the "poster animal" for all [endangered / dangerous] species. It is even on the [Lego / logo] of the World Wildlife Fund. The International Union for Conservation of Nature [removed / removal] it from the endangered species list in 2016, although it [stay / remains] "vulnerable". Many conservationists are now concerned this has come at a [worth / cost] to other mammals, especially those sharing its habitat. A study published in the [journey / journal] Nature Ecology and Evolution found that the leopard, snow leopard, wolf and Asian wild dog have [most / almost] disappeared from the majority of areas in which the giant panda [lives / living] .
Researcher Professor Sheng Li, from Peking University, [commended / commanded] the efforts to protect the giant panda but [laminated / lamented] this has come at the [expense / expanse] of some of China's larger, carnivorous mammals. Since panda conservation areas were [establishment / established] in the 1960s, Asian wild dogs [have / had] disappeared from 95% of protected reserves, leopards from 81%, wolves from 77%, and snow leopards from 38%. Professor Li said his [funding / findings] "indicate the insufficiency of giant panda conservation for [protection / protecting] these large carnivore species". However, he added: "Failing to [safeguard / safety] these large carnivore species does not [erase / praise] the power of the giant panda as an effective umbrella that has effectively sheltered many [other / others] species."
