The Giant Panda is one of the most recognizable animals in the world known for its black and white fur. The Giant Panda's bloodline spilt from the other bears around 20 million years ago. Similar to domestic cat, these bears have vertical slits for pupils unlike regular bears. These Giant Pandas originated from central China specifically in the Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces! Although they are natives to China now, their ancestors once roamed across Europe and were carnivorous. They have strong jaws and powerful molars perfect for munching on bamboo and have enlarged wrist bones that function as "thumbs" that allows them to have a easy grip on bamboo too. The distinctive black-and-white coloration is believed to serve as camouflage in the patchy snow and rock of their native habitat, while the black patches around the eyes may aid in communication. Despite being bears, their short tails and round faces give them a more unique, recognizable appearance.
Giant Pandas usually live in dense forests with bamboo at elevations between 5,000 to 11,500 feet. Over 99 percent of their diet consists of bamboo leaves, stems, and shoots. A Giant Panda eats between 20 to 88 pounds of bamboo each day! Another weird fact is that they defecate about 40 time every day due to all their consumption. Their massive daily intake is necessary because their digestive system, inherited from carnivorous ancestors, is inefficient at processing cellulose, meaning they must consume enormous quantities to absorb enough nutrients. Despite their reliance on bamboo, they are classified as carnivores due to their evolutionary history, and they will occasionally supplement their diet with small rodents, fish, or even bird eggs to gain necessary protein. This constant foraging across large ranges makes access to contiguous bamboo forests critical to their survival.
One unique aspect of their behavior is their way of communication through variety of sounds like bleats, growls, honks and even squeals. Scent markings is another form of communication for them left by their tails that can tell other pandas about that panda's gender, age, health and reproductive status. However pandas are generally solitary animals that only come together during mating season. In their family life, female pandas raise their cubs alone for up to three years. Typically, mother pandas take care of only one cub even if they have twins, the mother panda would end up abandoning the weaker cub. This seemingly harsh decision is thought to be an evolutionary strategy to ensure the survival of at least one offspring, given the enormous energy demands of raising a cub on a low-nutrition bamboo diet. Like most bears, they do not hibernate but may retreat to tree hollows or caves for short periods during cold weather.
Since 2016, Giant Pandas have been reclassified as "vulnerable" by the IUCN Red List. Around 1,864 pandas remain in the wild due to reproduction difficulties and habitat loss from human activities. In recent years, conservation efforts from World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Pandas International, the Smithsonian's National Zoo, The Nature Conservancy have greatly helped in raising awareness and engagement in habitat protection. Since 2016, Giant Pandas have been reclassified as "vulnerable" by the IUCN Red List. Around 1,864 pandas remain in the wild due to reproduction difficulties and habitat loss from human activities. In recent years, conservation efforts from World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Pandas International, the Smithsonian's National Zoo, The Nature Conservancy have greatly helped in raising awareness and engagement in habitat protection. The major turning point was the Chinese government's creation of 67 panda reserves and corridors connecting fragmented habitats, which allowed isolated populations to interbreed and ensured a consistent supply of bamboo. Despite the improved status, Giant Pandas remain vulnerable to climate change, which threatens to wipe out over one-third of their bamboo habitat in the next century.