The giant panda has been threatened with extinction since 1990. A large proportion of the panda’s habitat has already been lost: logged for timber and fuelwood, or cleared for agriculture and infrastructure to meet the needs of the area’s booming population. As few as 1,864 giant pandas live in their native habitat, while another 600 pandas live in zoos and breeding centers around the world.
1. In ancient China, it was believed that panda fur has magical powers that could ward off evil spirits. Due to hunting and poaching, pandas are on the brink of extinction.
2. There is a red panda (Ailurus fulgens) and a giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Both species have the same diet and habitat, and both animals are in danger of extinction.
3. A newborn panda weighs nine hundred times less than its mother.
4. A panda baby is born blind and has no teeth, it has pink skin and is covered with a thin layer of light fur. About two weeks after birth, some of the skin will turn dark.
5. Although the panda’s fur looks soft and silky, in reality the outer layer is coarse. The fur of an adult panda can reach ten centimeters in length.
6. Scientists are not sure why panda’s fur is colored in such a unique way. The color of the skin is specific also. Skin is black under the black fur and pink under the white fur.
7. 99% of the panda’s diet is bamboo. This vegetarian diet is quite poor in nutrients and pandas must eat 23–40kg every day to meet their energy needs, therefore most of the free time pandas are busy eating bamboo.
8. A giant panda does not hibernate because it cannot pile on enough body fat. Most herbivores absorb 75-80% of nutrients, and the digestive system of the panda is able to absorb only up to 20%.
9. Adult giant pandas are so large that they have no natural enemies to hide from, but some animals can prey on cubs, sick or old individuals. Potential predators include jackals, snow leopards, and yellow-throated martens.
10. The panda’s front foot is like a hand. But, instead of four fingers and a thumb, the panda has five fingers and an extra-long wrist bone.
11. China does not sell giant pandas but loans out them to zoos around the world. Renting one panda brings China about $ 1 million annually.
11. Scientists estimate that lifespan is about 15-20 years for wild pandas and about 30 years for those in human care. But the giant pandas are reluctant to breed in captivity.
