The mother normally fasts for several days after giving birth. As the cub matures, the mother gradually spends more time away from the cub foraging. Cubs are born blind, covered only with sparse, white fur. The black markings develop by about 10-12 days. The cub is fully furred by about 25 days of age.
Cubs start to walk at four months of age.
They begin to feed on bamboo at about 13-14 months of age. A young panda usually remains with its mother for at least 18 months, and sometimes for as long as 2.5 years. The giant panda is a critically endangered species. Less than 1,000 individuals remain in the wild. Habitat destruction, mainly due to logging and farming, is the primary threat to giant panda survival.