diff --git "a/68474c8c-a7bf-49f1-bcbe-a7bbda5c774d.json" "b/68474c8c-a7bf-49f1-bcbe-a7bbda5c774d.json" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/68474c8c-a7bf-49f1-bcbe-a7bbda5c774d.json" @@ -0,0 +1,40 @@ +{ + "interaction_id": "68474c8c-a7bf-49f1-bcbe-a7bbda5c774d", + "search_results": [ + { + "page_name": "Giant Panda | Species | WWF", + "page_url": "https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/giant-panda", + "page_snippet": "Pandas live mainly in temperate forests high in the mountains of southwest China, where they subsist almost entirely on bamboo. They must eat around 26 to 84 pounds of it every day, depending on what part of the bamboo they are eating. They use their enlarged wrist bones that function as opposable ...WWF works to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and wildlife, collaborating with partners from local to global levels in nearly 100 countries. Learn more about our impact ... Despite their exalted status and relative lack of natural predators, pandas are still at risk. Pandas live mainly in temperate forests high in the mountains of southwest China, where they subsist almost entirely on bamboo. They must eat around 26 to 84 pounds of it every day, depending on what part of the bamboo they are eating. They use their enlarged wrist bones that function as opposable thumbs. A newborn panda is about the size of a stick of butter\u2014about 1/900th the size of its mother\u2014but females can grow up to about 200 pounds, while males can grow up to about 300 pounds as adults. These bears are excellent tree climbers despite their bulk. These bears are excellent tree climbers despite their bulk. ... Wild panda numbers are finally rebounding after years of decline. In September, the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced that pandas have been upgraded from \u201cendangered\u201d to \u201cvulnerable.\u201d", + "page_result": "\n\n\nGiant Panda | Species | WWF\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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\nWorld Wildlife Fund\n\n
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  1. \n\n\n\n\nSpecies\n
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  2. Giant Panda
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Giant Panda

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  1. \n\n\n\n\nSpecies\n
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  2. Giant Panda
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Giant Panda
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Facts

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Despite their exalted status and relative lack of natural predators, pandas are still at risk. Severe threats from humans have left just over 1,800 pandas in the wild.

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  • \nVU\nStatus\n
    \nVulnerable\n
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    \n1,864 in the wild\n
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  • \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nScientific Name\n
    \nAiluropoda melanoleuca\n
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  • \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHeight\n
    \nAdults can grow to more than four feet.\n
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    \n220\u2013330 pounds\n
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    \nTemperate broadleaf and mixed forests of southwest China\n
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Map data provided by IUCN

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The panda, with its distinctive black and white coat, is adored by the world and considered a national treasure in China. This bear also has a special significance for WWF because it has been our logo since our founding in 1961.

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Pandas live mainly in temperate forests high in the mountains of southwest China, where they subsist almost entirely on bamboo. They must eat around 26 to 84 pounds of it every day, depending on what part of the bamboo they are eating. They use their enlarged wrist bones that function as opposable thumbs.

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A newborn panda is about the size of a stick of butter\u2014about 1/900th the size of its mother\u2014but females can grow up to about 200 pounds, while males can grow up to about 300 pounds as adults. These bears are excellent tree climbers despite their bulk.

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Wild pandas get a boost

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\nWild panda numbers are finally rebounding after years of decline. In September, the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced that pandas have been upgraded from \u201cendangered\u201d to \u201cvulnerable.\u201d\n
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Why They Matter

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    Crucial Role in Forests

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    The biological diversity of the panda\u2019s habitat is unparalleled in the temperate world and rivals that of tropical ecosystems, making the giant panda an excellent example of an umbrella species conferring protection on many other species where pandas live. In other words, when we protect pandas, we invariably protect other animals that live around them, such as multicolored pheasants, the golden monkey, takin, and crested ibis. Pandas also bring sustainable economic benefits to many local communities through ecotourism.

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Threats

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  • \nPopulation\n1,864 in the wild\n
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    \nExtinction Risk\nVulnerable\n
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    1. \nEX\n
      \nExtinct\n
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      No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died

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    2. \nEW\n
      \nExtinct in the Wild\n
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      Known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalised population

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    3. \nCR\n
      \nCritically Endangered\n
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      Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the Wild

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    4. \nEN\n
      \nEndangered\n
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      Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild

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    5. \nVU\n
      \nVulnerable\n
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      Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild

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    6. \nNT\n
      \nNear Threatened\n
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      Likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future

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    7. \nLC\n
      \nLeast Concern\n
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      Does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened

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Hunting

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Although poaching impacted pandas in the past, its impact declined since the enactment of the Wildlife Protection Act (1988), which bans poaching and carries severe punishments. However, pandas may get caught accidentally in snares set for musk deer or other species.

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Habitat Loss

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China\u2019s Yangtze Basin region holds the panda\u2019s primary habitat. Infrastructure development (such as dams, roads, and railways) is increasingly fragmenting and isolating panda populations, preventing pandas from finding new bamboo forests and potential mates. 

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Forest loss also reduces pandas\u2019 access to the bamboo they need to survive. The Chinese government has established more than 50 panda reserves, but only around 67% of the total wild panda population lives in reserves, with 54% of the total habitat area being protected.

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What WWF Is Doing

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WWF was the first international conservation organization to work in China at the Chinese government's invitation. Our main role in China is to assist and influence policy-level conservation decisions through information collection, demonstration of conservation approaches, communications, and equipping people with the tools and knowledge they need to protect pandas and their habitat.

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Protecting Giant Pandas

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We work towards and advocate for

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  • increasing the area of panda habitat under legal protection
  • creating green corridors to link isolated pandas
  • patrolling against poaching, illegal logging, and encroachment
  • building local capacities for nature reserve management
  • continuing research and monitoring
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WWF has been working with the Chinese government\u2019s National Conservation Program for the giant panda and its habitat. Thanks to this program, panda reserves now cover more than 3.8 million acres of forest.

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The WWF Logo

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\n\"Evolution\n
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Evolution of the WWF Logo

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The inspiration for the WWF logo came from Chi-Chi, a giant panda that was living at the London Zoo in 1961, the same year WWF was created. WWF\u2019s founders were aware of the need for a strong, recognizable symbol that would overcome all language barriers. They agreed that the big, furry animal with her appealing, black-patched eyes would make an excellent choice.

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The first panda sketches were done by the British environmentalist and artist Gerald Watterson. Based on these, Sir Peter Scott, one of WWF\u2019s founders and a world-renowned conservationist and painter, drew the first logo.

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The design of the logo has evolved over the past four decades, but the giant panda\u2019s distinctive features remain an integral part of WWF\u2019s treasured and unmistakable symbol. Today, WWF\u2019s trademark is recognized as a universal symbol for the conservation movement.

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Projects

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    Photos from Camera Traps in China

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    Camera traps are not the intricate and elaborate devices you might imagine. These innovative conservation tools are in fact nothing more than everyday cameras, armed with infrared sensors that take a picture whenever they sense movement in the forest.

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\nPublications\n

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Experts

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How You Can Help

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\nTake Action\n

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Join us to make change. Speak up for species and places through WWF's Action Center.

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\nGive to WWF\n

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Make a gift to WWF's global conservation efforts and choose from symbolic panda adoptions, apparel, and more!

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Related Species

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\nWorld Wildlife Fund\n

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\n1250 24th Street, N.W.
\nWashington, DC 20037\n

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World Wildlife Fund Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax ID number 52-1693387) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

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\n\n\n", + "page_last_modified": "" + }, + { + "page_name": "Which countries in the world have pandas? - Quora", + "page_url": "https://www.quora.com/Which-countries-in-the-world-have-pandas", + "page_snippet": "", + "page_result": "", + "page_last_modified": "" + }, + { + "page_name": "Giant Panda | National Geographic", + "page_url": "https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/giant-panda", + "page_snippet": "Wild pandas live only in remote, mountainous regions in central China. These high bamboo forests are cool and wet\u2014just as pandas like it. They may climb as high as 13,000 feet to feed on higher slopes in the summer season.Wild pandas live only in remote, mountainous regions in central China. These high bamboo forests are cool and wet\u2014just as pandas like it. They may climb as high as 13,000 feet to feed on higher slopes in the summer season. Giant pandas are solitary. They have a highly developed sense of smell that males use to avoid each other and to find females for mating in the spring. After a five-month pregnancy, females give birth to a cub or two, though they cannot care for both twins. The blind infants weigh only 5 ounces at birth and cannot crawl until they reach three months of age. Improved conservation efforts and better survey methods show an increase in the wild panda population. Hundreds more pandas live in breeding centers and zoos, where they are always among the most popular attractions. Much of what we know about pandas comes from studying these zoo animals, because their wild cousins are so rare and elusive. They may appear sedentary, but they are skilled tree-climbers and efficient swimmers. Giant pandas are solitary. They have a highly developed sense of smell that males use to avoid each other and to find females for mating in the spring. After a five-month pregnancy, females give birth to a cub or two, though they cannot care for both twins.", + "page_result": "\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n Giant Panda | National Geographic\n \n \n \n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n \n \n

Giant Pandas 101

A giant panda photographed at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia
A giant panda photographed at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia
Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark
Common Name:
Giant Panda
Scientific Name:
Ailuropoda melanoleuca
Type:
Mammals
Diet:
Omnivore
Average Life Span In The Wild:
20 years
Size:
4 to 5 feet
Weight:
300 pounds
Size relative to a 6-ft man:
\"\"
\"\"
IUCN Red List Status:
Vulnerable
LC
NT
VU
EN
CR
EW
EX
Least Concern Extinct
Current Population Trend:
Increasing

The giant panda has an insatiable appetite for bamboo. A typical animal eats half the day\u2014a full 12 out of every 24 hours\u2014and relieves itself dozens of times a day. It takes 28 pounds of bamboo to satisfy a giant panda's daily dietary needs, and it hungrily plucks the stalks with elongated wrist bones that function rather like thumbs. Pandas will sometimes eat birds or rodents as well.

Behavior and Habitat

Wild pandas live only in remote, mountainous regions in central China. These high bamboo forests are cool and wet\u2014just as pandas like it. They may climb as high as 13,000 feet to feed on higher slopes in the summer season.

Pandas are often seen eating in a relaxed sitting posture, with their hind legs stretched out before them. They may appear sedentary, but they are skilled tree-climbers and efficient swimmers.

Breeding and Population

Giant pandas are solitary. They have a highly developed sense of smell that males use to avoid each other and to find females for mating in the spring. After a five-month pregnancy, females give birth to a cub or two, though they cannot care for both twins. The blind infants weigh only 5 ounces at birth and cannot crawl until they reach three months of age. They are born white, and develop their much loved coloring later.

Improved conservation efforts and better survey methods show an increase in the wild panda population. Hundreds more pandas live in breeding centers and zoos, where they are always among the most popular attractions. Much of what we know about pandas comes from studying these zoo animals, because their wild cousins are so rare and elusive.

This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our photo community on Instagram. Follow us on Instagram at @natgeoyourshot or visit us at natgeo.com/yourshot for the latest submissions and news about the community.
This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our photo community on Instagram. Follow us on Instagram at @natgeoyourshot or visit us at natgeo.com/yourshot for the latest submissions and news about the community.
Photograph by YUKIHIRO Fukuda, National Geographic Your Shot

Go Further

Animals

Environment

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Follow us

\"National

Copyright \u00a9 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright \u00a9 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

\n \n \n \n \n \n ", + "page_last_modified": " Mon, 11 Mar 2024 12:19:53 GMT" + }, + { + "page_name": "Giant Panda | National Geographic", + "page_url": "https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/giant-panda", + "page_snippet": "Wild pandas live only in remote, mountainous regions in central China. These high bamboo forests are cool and wet\u2014just as pandas like it. They may climb as high as 13,000 feet to feed on higher slopes in the summer season.Wild pandas live only in remote, mountainous regions in central China. These high bamboo forests are cool and wet\u2014just as pandas like it. They may climb as high as 13,000 feet to feed on higher slopes in the summer season. Giant pandas are solitary. They have a highly developed sense of smell that males use to avoid each other and to find females for mating in the spring. After a five-month pregnancy, females give birth to a cub or two, though they cannot care for both twins. The blind infants weigh only 5 ounces at birth and cannot crawl until they reach three months of age. Improved conservation efforts and better survey methods show an increase in the wild panda population. Hundreds more pandas live in breeding centers and zoos, where they are always among the most popular attractions. Much of what we know about pandas comes from studying these zoo animals, because their wild cousins are so rare and elusive. They may appear sedentary, but they are skilled tree-climbers and efficient swimmers. Giant pandas are solitary. They have a highly developed sense of smell that males use to avoid each other and to find females for mating in the spring. After a five-month pregnancy, females give birth to a cub or two, though they cannot care for both twins.", + "page_result": "\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n Giant Panda | National Geographic\n \n \n \n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n \n \n

Giant Pandas 101

A giant panda photographed at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia
A giant panda photographed at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia
Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark
Common Name:
Giant Panda
Scientific Name:
Ailuropoda melanoleuca
Type:
Mammals
Diet:
Omnivore
Average Life Span In The Wild:
20 years
Size:
4 to 5 feet
Weight:
300 pounds
Size relative to a 6-ft man:
\"\"
\"\"
IUCN Red List Status:
Vulnerable
LC
NT
VU
EN
CR
EW
EX
Least Concern Extinct
Current Population Trend:
Increasing

The giant panda has an insatiable appetite for bamboo. A typical animal eats half the day\u2014a full 12 out of every 24 hours\u2014and relieves itself dozens of times a day. It takes 28 pounds of bamboo to satisfy a giant panda's daily dietary needs, and it hungrily plucks the stalks with elongated wrist bones that function rather like thumbs. Pandas will sometimes eat birds or rodents as well.

Behavior and Habitat

Wild pandas live only in remote, mountainous regions in central China. These high bamboo forests are cool and wet\u2014just as pandas like it. They may climb as high as 13,000 feet to feed on higher slopes in the summer season.

Pandas are often seen eating in a relaxed sitting posture, with their hind legs stretched out before them. They may appear sedentary, but they are skilled tree-climbers and efficient swimmers.

Breeding and Population

Giant pandas are solitary. They have a highly developed sense of smell that males use to avoid each other and to find females for mating in the spring. After a five-month pregnancy, females give birth to a cub or two, though they cannot care for both twins. The blind infants weigh only 5 ounces at birth and cannot crawl until they reach three months of age. They are born white, and develop their much loved coloring later.

Improved conservation efforts and better survey methods show an increase in the wild panda population. Hundreds more pandas live in breeding centers and zoos, where they are always among the most popular attractions. Much of what we know about pandas comes from studying these zoo animals, because their wild cousins are so rare and elusive.

This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our photo community on Instagram. Follow us on Instagram at @natgeoyourshot or visit us at natgeo.com/yourshot for the latest submissions and news about the community.
This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our photo community on Instagram. Follow us on Instagram at @natgeoyourshot or visit us at natgeo.com/yourshot for the latest submissions and news about the community.
Photograph by YUKIHIRO Fukuda, National Geographic Your Shot

Go Further

Animals

Environment

History & Culture

Science

Travel

Follow us

\"National

Copyright \u00a9 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright \u00a9 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

\n \n \n \n \n \n ", + "page_last_modified": " Mon, 11 Mar 2024 12:19:53 GMT" + }, + { + "page_name": "Giant panda | Facts, Habitat, Population, & Diet | Britannica", + "page_url": "https://www.britannica.com/animal/giant-panda", + "page_snippet": "Giant panda, bear with striking black-and-white coloration inhabiting bamboo forests in the mountains of central China. Its coloration, bulky body, and round face gives it a captivating appearance that has endeared it to people worldwide. Learn more about the giant panda in this article.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. 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 wrist bone that functions somewhat like a thumb, enabling pandas to handle food with considerable dexterity. A large scent gland located just below the tail and surrounding the anus is used to leave olfactory messages for other pandas. The gland is rubbed against trees, rocks, and clumps of grass, with scent conveying information on identity, sex, and possibly social status of the marking individual. Chemical analysis of marks is consistent with a difference in function for males and females. Males appear to use scent to identify the areas where they live, whereas females primarily use it for signaling estrus.", + "page_result": "\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\t\t\n\n \n Giant panda | Facts, Habitat, Population, & Diet | Britannica\n\t\t\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\t\n\n \n\n \n\n\t\t \n\t\t\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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\n
\n \n\n \n\n
\n
\n \n
\n \n\t\t\t\tgiant panda\n
\n \n
\n
\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\t\t\t\n \n \n\n\n
\n
\n\n
\n \n\n
\n \n
\n \n\t\n \n\t\t\t\tgiant panda\n
\n \n\n \n
\n\n \n\n
\n
\n \n
\n Table of Contents\n
\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\t\t\t\tReferences & Edit History\n \n\n \n \n\t\t\t\tQuick Facts & Related Topics\n \n
\n\n \n
\n \n\t\t\t\tImages & Videos\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"giant\n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"Geographic\n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"giant\n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"giant\n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"giant\n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"panda\n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"giant\n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"Giant\n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"Panda\n \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n
\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"View\n \n\n\n
\n \n \n
\n
\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n
\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n \n
\n\n
\n \n\n \n
\n
\n For Students\n
\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"Giant\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\tpanda summary\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n
\n \n\n \n
\n
\n Quizzes\n
\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"vulture.\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\tAnimal Factoids\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"Camel.\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\tThe Animals of Asia\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"Humpback\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\tA Quiz from Shrews to Whales \n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"Giraffe\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\tKnow Your Mammals Quiz \n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"Sea\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\tAnimal Group Names\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n
\n \n\n \n\n \n
\n
\n Read Next\n
\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"Portrait\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\tFalling Stars: 10 of the Most Famous Endangered Species\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"animal.\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\tAbundant Animals: The Most Numerous Organisms in the World\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"cat.\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t7 Questions About Mammals Answered\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"Spider\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\tWhy Do Animals Have Tails?\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"Ruminant.\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t9 of the World\u2019s Deadliest Mammals\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n
\n \n\n \n\n \n
\n
\n Discover\n
\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"illustration\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\tTitanosaurs: 8 of the World's Biggest Dinosaurs\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"The\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t26 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"United\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\tHow Many Electoral College Votes Does Each U.S. State Have?\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"African\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\tTimeline of the American Civil Rights Movement\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"Diverse\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\tPro and Con: School Uniforms\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \"Young\n \n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t
\n\n\t\n\t\t
\n\t\tThe Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\n
\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n\t\n\n\t
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giant panda

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Also known as: Ailuropoda melanoleuca, panda bear
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFeb. 29, 2024, 6:45 AM ET (Yahoo News)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPanda family returns home from Spain to China\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFeb. 26, 2024, 10:49 PM ET (The Indian Express)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAs China signs panda conservation pact with US zoo, a look-back at \u2018Panda diplomacy\u2019\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFeb. 23, 2024, 5:06 AM ET (Taipei Times)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPanda diplomacy set to resume between China and the US\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFeb. 21, 2024, 6:15 PM ET (Time Magazine)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tChina Plans to Send San Diego Zoo More Pandas This Year\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\"Geographic
Geographic ranges of living species of bears
Geographic ranges of the eight living species of bears.

giant panda, (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), bear with striking black-and-white coloration inhabiting bamboo forests in the mountains of central China. Its coloration, combined with a bulky body and round face, gives it a captivating appearance that has endeared it to people worldwide. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, fewer than 1,900 pandas are thought to remain in the wild.

\"giant
giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) inhabits bamboo forests in the mountains of central China.

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 wrist bone that functions somewhat like a thumb, enabling pandas to handle food with considerable dexterity.

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Natural history

\"giant
giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) eating bamboo.
\"giant
giant panda
Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) feeding on bamboo.

As much as 90\u201398 percent of the panda\u2019s diet consists of the leaves, shoots, and stems of bamboo, a large grass available year-round in much of China\u2019s forested regions. Despite adaptations in the forepaws, teeth, and jaws for bamboo consumption, the giant panda has retained the digestive system of its carnivore ancestry and is therefore unable to digest cellulose, a main constituent of bamboo. Pandas solve this problem by rapidly passing prodigious quantities of the grass through their digestive tracts on a daily basis. As much as 16 out of every 24 hours is spent feeding, and elimination of wastes occurs up to 50 times per day. Fossilized dental remains indicate that the giant panda committed to bamboo as its principal food source at least three million years ago. Although unable to capture prey, pandas retain a taste for meat, which is used as bait to capture them for radio collaring and has made them pests in human camps on occasion. The species cannot naturally survive outside bamboo forests, though in captivity they have been maintained on cereals, milk, and garden fruits and vegetables. Bamboo is the healthier diet for captive pandas.

\"panda
panda sleeping
A sleeping giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) at a breeding centre in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China.

The giant panda\u2019s solitary nature is underscored by its reliance on its sense of smell (olfaction). Each animal confines its activities to a range of about 4 to 6 square km (1.5 to 2.3 square miles), but these home ranges often overlap substantially. Under this arrangement scent functions in regulating contact between individuals. A large scent gland located just below the tail and surrounding the anus is used to leave olfactory messages for other pandas. The gland is rubbed against trees, rocks, and clumps of grass, with scent conveying information on identity, sex, and possibly social status of the marking individual. Chemical analysis of marks is consistent with a difference in function for males and females. Males appear to use scent to identify the areas where they live, whereas females primarily use it for signaling estrus. Except for the mothers\u2019 care of infants, the only social activity of pandas takes place during females\u2019 estrus, which occurs annually during the spring and lasts one to three days. A spring mating season (March\u2013May) and a fall birth season (August\u2013September) are seen in both wild and captive populations. Males appear to locate females first by scent and ultimately by vocalizations. Assemblages of one to five males per female have been recorded. At this time males may become highly aggressive as they compete for the opportunity to mate.

\"giant
giant panda cub (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
Giant panda cub (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) sleeping on a branch.

Like bears, giant pandas undergo a delay in implantation of the fertilized ovum into the wall of the uterus, a period of two to three months after mating. Hormone levels in females\u2019 urine indicate that the period of embryonic/fetal growth and development lasts only about two months. Altogether, gestation averages 135 days (with a range of 90\u2013184 days), but, because of the short growth phase, a term fetus weighs only about 112 grams (4 ounces) on average. Relative to the mother, giant pandas produce the smallest offspring of any placental mammal (about 1/800 of the mother\u2019s weight). For the first two to three weeks of life, the mother uses her forepaws and her thumblike wrist bones to cuddle and position the infant against herself in a rather uncarnivore-like and almost human fashion. Nearly half of the 133 captive births recorded before 1998 were of twins, but panda mothers are typically unable to care for more than one infant. Reasons for the extremely small size of the offspring and the frequent production of twins are not understood, but both are traits shared with bears.

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\u201380 days. Its helpless state mandates birth in a den, an environment in which it lives for the first 100\u2013120 days of life. By about 14 months, at which age the milk teeth have erupted, the infant readily consumes bamboo, and at 18\u201324 months weaning from the mother takes place. Separation from the mother must occur before a female can undertake the production of her next litter. Captive pandas may live beyond 30 years in captivity, but life span in the wild is estimated at about 20 years.

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Conservation and classification

Fossils from northern Myanmar and Vietnam and much of China as far north as Beijing indicate that the giant panda was widely distributed throughout eastern Asia during the early Pleistocene Epoch (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago). Human destruction of its forest habitat, combined with poaching, has restricted the species to remote fragments of mountain habitat along the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan (Szechwan), Shaanxi (Shensi), and Gansu (Kansu). The total area of these habitats is about 13,000 square km (5,000 square miles), and in recent times periodic mass flowering and die-offs of bamboo have brought starvation for some populations. (Five to 10 years are required for bamboo forests to recover from these natural events.) Since the 1990s China has greatly expanded its conservation efforts, and it now regards the panda as a national treasure. The reserve system has been expanded from 14 sites to more than 40, and cooperative international arrangements were implemented to provide training in reserve management and captive breeding. The panda had long been considered an endangered species by the IUCN, but the environmental organization changed the status of the panda to \u201cvulnerable\u201d in 2016, because of China\u2019s success in restoring bamboo forest habitat.

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 are found in zoos elsewhere. Captive populations are increasing. Su-Lin, the first of the giant pandas to be exhibited in the West, reached the United States as an infant in 1936 and was a popular attraction at the Brookfield Zoo, near Chicago, until its death in 1938. No European observed a live giant panda in the wild until the Walter St\u00f6tzner expedition of 1913\u201315, although Armand David, a Vincentian missionary, discovered some panda furs in 1869.

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The classification of giant pandas has long been a subject of controversy. Anatomic, behavioral, and biochemical data have been used to place pandas with bears (family Ursidae), with raccoons (Procyonidae), or in a family of their own (Ailuridae). Improved molecular analyses made during the 1990s strongly suggest bears as the giant panda\u2019s closest relatives, and many of their behavioral and reproductive characteristics are consistent with this placement.

Donald G. Lindburg
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