Giant Pandas
Giant Pandas are a rare bear type that originate from China. Humankind believed they were a cross between a raccoon and a bear. However, science proved that pandas are only bears. The bear type also has subspecies, for example the Qinling panda and the “Ailuropoda m. melanoleuca’’ panda.
They live in western China to be more specific, in a region near Chengdu. In mountainous forest regions they are near bamboo plants. Probably you’ve guessed why. Food obviously. Pandas eat a lot of bamboo. That is no surprise nowadays. Each panda must eat 26 to 84 pounds of bamboo everyday. They do this by using their enlarged wrist bones that function as strong thumbs. Pandas almost only eat bamboo.
A baby panda (also known as panda cub) are about 900th of the size of their mother. At young age baby pandas are already excellent climbers and great eaters of bamboo. When the baby panda has grown it can eventually weigh about 330 pounds because of their daily eating habit.
Pandas are getting more vulnerable each day since their home is being destroyed by people. China needs the region for it’s economic growth. Things like railroads and massive new industry areas destroys all the living environment of the panda. The panda needs bamboo to live. With the destruction of these areas the bamboo disappears and pandas have a harder time surviving. There are established protected reserves in China, but only 61% of those reserves are really protected.
Zoo breading program
Pandas are sent to different zoos all over the world to counter extinction. In the zoos special habitats are made to make it the best living space for both the male panda and the female panda. The pandas are separated from each other at first. Pandas are fed loads of bamboo by zookeepers and the pandas watch television content to encourage breading. When the time is right, the door opens between the two rooms in the panda habitat in the hope that they make a new baby panda. At the end of the breading program they are sent back to China.
Fun fact: did you ever ask yourself what noise a panda makes? This video of a Chinese zoo does all the explaining (spoiler, it’s very cute):
