Giant panda

The giant panda is perhaps the most powerful symbol in the world when it comes to species conservation. Adored around the world, the distinctive black and white animal is a national treasure in China and has been the symbol of WWF since its formation in 1961. While its numbers are slowly increasing, the giant panda remains one of the rarest and most endangered bears in the world. Learn more about this amazing species! About the Panda: • population • Habitat: where do they live? • Diet: what do they eat? • pandas live? • look like? • enemies • Life cycle • future Conservation and solutions: • endangered? • Why save the panda? • History of panda conservation • help? Fast facts • 1,864 wild giant pandas were counted during a 2014 survey • An adult panda can weigh about 100-150kg and grow up to 150cm long • Pandas feed for up to 14 hours a day and can eat up to 38kg of bamboo • When born, a panda cub is just 1/900th the size of its mother • Pandas are good swimmers and excellent tree climbers • Habitat loss and fragmentation are major threats After decades of effort, wild panda numbers are rising, but there are still only 1,864 spread across 20 pockets of bamboo forest. And the remaining pandas still face a number of threats, particularly habitat loss and fragmentation. But the Chinese government is committed to conserving the species and its habitat, and has already drastically increased the number of panda reserves. WWF has been active in giant panda conservation since 1980,...

MeettheGiant Panda Depending mainly on a diet of bamboo, giant pandaslive inwestern China. They eat dozens of pounds of bamboo per dayover about 12 hours of feeding, which accounts for their incredible growth fromlessthan a pound at birth to over 200 pounds at the age of maturity. Pandas play an important role in the forest ecosystem where they live. Seeds and plant matter collects on their fur, which is then deposited as they move throughout theirhabitat.They also climb trees and swim, which further helpsdispersethe seeds. Pandas are solitary creatures, but when females are ready to mate—startingat about eight years old—they use calls and scent to attract males. Pandas typically give birth to two cubs at a time, but usually,only one cub will survive. Birth rates for pandas are very low,which combined with habitat loss and poaching, make the species a special focus of conservationists. • Even though Giant pandas have a carnivore's digestive system, they've evolved to eat bamboo. • Giant pandas have "thumbs" - enlongated wrist bones that help them grip bamboo. • Giant pandas weigh only a few ounces at birth and grow to be more than 200 pounds. • Forests depend on Giant pandas for seed dispersal. • Giant panda numbers are increasing, suggesting that conservation measures are working. Protecting theGiant Panda Only about 1,800 wild giant pandasnowsurvive inthe wild.A majority ofthese pandas live on a series of62 reserveswhich, with help from The Nature Conservancy, China is a...

Tian Tian (t-YEN t-YEN) is an adult male. His name means "more and more." Tian Tian has black "knee socks." The black band across his shoulders narrows in the middle, like a bow tie. His eye patches are shaped like kidney beans, and he has two black dots across the bridge of his nose. Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) is an adult female whose name means "beautiful fragrance." She has black hip-high "stockings" extending up her hind legs. The black band across her shoulders is wider in the middle than Tian Tian's. Her eye patches are oval, and a pale black band runs across the bridge of her nose. Xiao Qi Ji (SHIAU-chi-ji) is a male cub. He is smaller than his parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, and his name translates as “little miracle” in English. . Have more questions? Check out the

Giant pandas are black and white and loved all over. The giant panda is a national treasure in China and is therefore protected by law in its bamboo forest home. This unique bear has long been revered and can be found in Chinese art dating back thousands of years. The Chinese call the beloved pandas large bear-cats. Giant pandas have also fascinated people living outside of China; French Missionary Pere Armand David first described them for science in 1869. Now, more than 100 years later, the worldwide love for pandas has been combined with international conservation efforts. How did the panda get its colors? We aren't exactly sure. One theory is that pandas developed the contrasting black and white colors over time so they would stand out in the forest and be able to find each other to mate. Another idea is that the broad blockings of contrasting color may serve to camouflage the panda in the bamboo or treetops. Anyone who's tried to spot one of our panda cubs up in the tree napping can verify how difficult that can be! Scientists have yet to confirm what the real purpose of the panda's coloration is. Each panda has markings that are slightly different from any another panda. There is also a rare brown and white variation of the giant panda. Are giant pandas bears? For years scientists have wondered whether pandas are a type of bear, raccoon, or something all their own. Through studying the genetic code (DNA) in pandas’ cells, scientists have confirmed the panda's relatio...

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MeettheGiant Panda Depending mainly on a diet of bamboo, giant pandaslive inwestern China. They eat dozens of pounds of bamboo per dayover about 12 hours of feeding, which accounts for their incredible growth fromlessthan a pound at birth to over 200 pounds at the age of maturity. Pandas play an important role in the forest ecosystem where they live. Seeds and plant matter collects on their fur, which is then deposited as they move throughout theirhabitat.They also climb trees and swim, which further helpsdispersethe seeds. Pandas are solitary creatures, but when females are ready to mate—startingat about eight years old—they use calls and scent to attract males. Pandas typically give birth to two cubs at a time, but usually,only one cub will survive. Birth rates for pandas are very low,which combined with habitat loss and poaching, make the species a special focus of conservationists. • Even though Giant pandas have a carnivore's digestive system, they've evolved to eat bamboo. • Giant pandas have "thumbs" - enlongated wrist bones that help them grip bamboo. • Giant pandas weigh only a few ounces at birth and grow to be more than 200 pounds. • Forests depend on Giant pandas for seed dispersal. • Giant panda numbers are increasing, suggesting that conservation measures are working. Protecting theGiant Panda Only about 1,800 wild giant pandasnowsurvive inthe wild.A majority ofthese pandas live on a series of62 reserveswhich, with help from The Nature Conservancy, China is a...

Tian Tian (t-YEN t-YEN) is an adult male. His name means "more and more." Tian Tian has black "knee socks." The black band across his shoulders narrows in the middle, like a bow tie. His eye patches are shaped like kidney beans, and he has two black dots across the bridge of his nose. Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) is an adult female whose name means "beautiful fragrance." She has black hip-high "stockings" extending up her hind legs. The black band across her shoulders is wider in the middle than Tian Tian's. Her eye patches are oval, and a pale black band runs across the bridge of her nose. Xiao Qi Ji (SHIAU-chi-ji) is a male cub. He is smaller than his parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, and his name translates as “little miracle” in English. . Have more questions? Check out the

Giant pandas are black and white and loved all over. The giant panda is a national treasure in China and is therefore protected by law in its bamboo forest home. This unique bear has long been revered and can be found in Chinese art dating back thousands of years. The Chinese call the beloved pandas large bear-cats. Giant pandas have also fascinated people living outside of China; French Missionary Pere Armand David first described them for science in 1869. Now, more than 100 years later, the worldwide love for pandas has been combined with international conservation efforts. How did the panda get its colors? We aren't exactly sure. One theory is that pandas developed the contrasting black and white colors over time so they would stand out in the forest and be able to find each other to mate. Another idea is that the broad blockings of contrasting color may serve to camouflage the panda in the bamboo or treetops. Anyone who's tried to spot one of our panda cubs up in the tree napping can verify how difficult that can be! Scientists have yet to confirm what the real purpose of the panda's coloration is. Each panda has markings that are slightly different from any another panda. There is also a rare brown and white variation of the giant panda. Are giant pandas bears? For years scientists have wondered whether pandas are a type of bear, raccoon, or something all their own. Through studying the genetic code (DNA) in pandas’ cells, scientists have confirmed the panda's relatio...

Ailuropoda melanoleuca) Large males may attain 1.8 metres (6 feet) in length and weigh more than 100 kg (220 pounds); females are usually smaller. Round black ears and black eye patches stand out against a white face and neck. Black limbs, tail, legs, and shoulders contrast with the white torso. The rear paws point inward, which gives pandas a waddling gait. Pandas can easily stand on their hind legs and are commonly observed somersaulting, rolling, and dust-bathing. Although somewhat awkward as climbers, pandas readily ascend trees and, on the basis of their resemblance to bears, are probably capable of swimming. An unusual anatomic characteristic is an enlarged Ailuropoda melanoleuca) Like The newborn panda is blind and covered with only a thin all-white coat. It is virtually helpless, being able only to suckle and vocalize. It depends on its mother for warmth, nourishment, positioning at the breast, and stimulating the passage of wastes. Development is slow during the early months. Eyes begin to open at about 45 days, and the first wobbly steps are taken at 75–80 days. Its helpless state Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Conservation and classification Fossils from northern Prior eras of giving pandas as gifts and of short-term commercial loans to zoos have given way to lending agreements that generate funds for preservation of the wild population. More than 120 pandas are maintained in captivity in China, and another 15 to 20 a...