GIANT PANDAS FACTS:
Tags: Pandas, Facts, Bamboo

APPEARANCE:

The giant pandas are well known for their peculiar appearance of white and black fur, calm, friendly, and indolent nature. They are categorized as a symbol of peace. They are rarely brown. They look similar to both families bears and raccoons but the scientific study shows that they belong to bears. The scientific name for them is Ailuropoda melanoleuca. They belong to the class Mammalia( warm-blooded and feed their young ones with milk).

“ Pandas are native to China where the translation is Large-bear-cat.”

Source: pbc.org

They are considered to be a national emblem of China.

WHAT THEY EAT:

Their absolute diet comprises of bamboos. 99% of their diet belongs to bamboo and 1% of other nutrients like fruits, plants, and other insects. It means they have to take 30 to 80 pounds of bamboos daily to have a good appetite. Bamboos contain less amount of protein and more fiber having low nutritional sources thus they are hard to digest. They mostly spend their 12–14 hours eating bamboos. Their digestive system is a bit common to carnivores than herbivores. When they are not eating they usually take naps because of their low energy diet.

HABITAT:

They live in the mountains of SouthWestern China. They inhabit themselves in a dank forest because all they need is bamboo and good water access for nourishment. Infrastructure is a big threat to their lives resulting in their population shrinking. They can live up to 14–20 years in the wild and managed to live approximately 25–30 years under extraordinary care. In the course of time, hunting and habitat loss might be the reason for their extinction.

BREEDING:

Their reproductive rate is low as compared to other species. Mature females reproduce just once every two years. They mostly reproduce two cubs at a time and between them, only one manages to survive. The cubs weigh 3–4 ounces at birth which seems unusual in comparison with other wild creatures. The mother looks after their cubs with extra care until they become mature inside the den. Cubs take a maximum of 2 months to open their eyes. Within 22 weeks can walk. After 7 to 9 months they are likely to eat bamboos and after 18 months of care, they are released to live on their own. Adults can grow at a height of four or more than four feet. They have a very less predator rate because they live in a habitat where tigers do not exists and have less rate of leopards. To stay safe they rush high in the trees.

FUN FACTS ABOUT GIANT PANDAS:

1- Are pandas really fat as they seem to be? No, the thick fur makes them rounder and fluffy. Their short and flat muzzle makes their face look rounder.

2- They can poop 28 kilos per day. It is right to say that they love to eat sleep and poop.

3- Wild pandas are likely to found in Wolong, a place in China.

4- They enjoy to live alone and enjoy their own company. But they have many fans around because they are absolutely cute.

5- They don’t hibernate in winters.

6- They are pro at climbing trees and they know how to swim.

CONSERVATION:

A big shout out to WWF, the international conservation organization working in China. It has been working towards the protection of giant pandas and their habitat. According to sources, Panda reserves now cover almost 3.8 million acres of forest. China has implemented some laws to ban the activities of hunting and felling to protect them from being listed as endangered species.