On March 16, National Panda Day draws attention to one of the world’s unique bears. Pandas are also one of the world’s most endangered and adored animals. Conservationists and animal lovers alike spread the word about increasing efforts of the international community dedicated to protecting and restoring habitat.
- Native to China, giant pandas are members of the Bear (Ursidae) family. Their rapidly shrinking habitat is a major cause for concern. As an endangered species, successful panda breeding programs are rare. In the wild, there are approximately only 1,864 (according to the World Wide Fund for Nature) and 100 living in zoos around the world.
- Giant pandas are good at climbing trees and can also swim.
- Pandas are born looking like baby badgers — fur-less, pink, and blind. The iconic black and white colour comes later, after about three weeks.
- Not all giant pandas are black and white! A few are brown and white, but these are very rare.
- An adult can eat 12–38 kilos (26.4 lbs – 83.7 lbs) of bamboo per day!
- A panda can poop 28 Kilos (61.7 lbs) per day!
- Pandas have 6 toes to grasp bamboo.
- The giant panda’s scientific name is Ailuropoda melanoleuca, which means “black and white cat-foot”.
- Instead of sleeping through the night, wild pandas take naps after eating that last two to four hours. In the summertime, they can nap for six or more hours. They don’t care about the position they sleep in, either. They can snooze on their backs, sides, or bellies; curled up in a ball; or all sprawled out.
- Adult pandas don’t spend much time interacting with each other, and they’re generally quiet animals. However, they do occasionally communicate through scent marks, squeaking, barking, growling, or huffing.
- Male pandas are called boars. Female pandas are called sows. Their young are known as cubs.
- The fur is patterned to break up its outline as camouflage in forests to protect itself.
- Their fur is also waterproof.
- Pandas are shy and solitary creatures.
- The Giant Panda lives in mountain forests of southwest China, usually the Gansu, Shanxi and Sichuan provinces.
- They are symbols of peace in China.
- The Giant Panda’s closest relation is the Red Panda.
Sources:
National Day Calendar
China Highlights
NatGeo Kids
Readers Digest
The Factsite
