(ECNS) -- The number of wild giant pandas in China has increased to nearly 1,900, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Thursday.

China has made consistent efforts to protect wild animals and their habitats.

The population of wild giant pandas has grown by almost 800 over the past four decades, from around 1,100 in the 1980s.

The number of captive giant pandas across the world has reached 728, the administration said.