A-Z Facts about Giant Panda

Everybody loves pandas. Everybody finds them funny, cute, adorable, and irresistible to adore at. While we just know them as irresistibly likeable animals, there are so much more that we don’t know about them. Here are some facts about giant pandas that you probably didn’t know.

A for Ancestry

Pandas as a species have been on Earth for about two to three million years. The ancestor of giant panda is said to be Ailulractus (Cat Bear.) They are an extinct genus of the Chinese bears that lived eight million years ago. Scientists say that over the years giant pandas have been evolving as their own species of their own.

Giant pandas have been evolving as their own species of their own

B for Bamboos

Bamboos are the staple food for giant pandas. An interesting fact is that giant pandas are actually carnivores. Pandas’ digestive systems are most adaptive for meat. But bamboos make up 99% of their diet and they absorb only 30% of nutrients from bamboos. That is why pandas keep eating most of the time. On an average day, a panda eats about 25-30 pounds of bamboos. During spring it might go as high as 100 pounds per panda.

Bamboos are the staple food for giant pandas

C for Chengdu

Chengdu in Sichuan province is the panda capital of world. China is the motherland for Pandas. They are mostly found in the Gansu, Sichuan, and Shaanxi provinces of China. Their forests are wet, damp, and receive up to 50 inches of rain and snow fall.

Chengdu in Sichuan province is the panda capital of world

D for Distinctive

Giant pandas are known for their distinctive black and white patches. Scientists and biologists are unsure as to why giant pandas have those markings. Some believe the colours are for camouflaging pandas in bamboo forests, others believe the black and white colour help maintain the temperature of the body. No matter the reason, these mysterious black and white patches add on to the charm of giant pandas.

Giant pandas are known for their distinctive black and white patches

E for Eleven

Over the years panda scientists have found that giant pandas have 11 different types of calls to communicate with each and other. Out of which 4 are different types calls used when searching for a mate.

Communicating with each and other

F for Fur

Panda’s fur looks soft and silky, but it is actually quiet thick and wiry. The hairs of giant pandas can grow up to 10cm long. It is said that during the times of war people hunted pandas for their fur and meat. The fur was used to keep people warm.

Panda’s fur looks soft and silky

G for Giant Pandas

The word panda is derived from the Nepalese word ‘poonya’ which means plant eating or bamboo eating animal. Chinese call them ‘panda daxiongmao’ which means large bear cat. The other names of pandas are white leopard, beast of prey, iron eating beast, and bamboo bear.

Chinese call them ‘panda daxiongmao’ which means large bear cat

H for Hibernation

Most of the bears and other animals hibernate during winter, but giant pandas don’t. They like to sleep a lot, but they do not hibernate. During winter, they simply move around to find a place where they are comfortable with the temperature. One of the reasons why do not hibernate is that bamboos do not give them enough energy to conserve and sleep off during the winter.

Pandas like to sleep a lot, but they do not hibernate

I for Intelligent

Pandas may seem lazy and slow. But there are instances that indicate that they are extremely clever and intelligent. Being a carnivore, they have adapted themselves to a vegetarian diet, so they do have to migrate or hunt or hibernate even during winter due to lack of food. Ai Hin, a female panda in one of the breeding centres in china, faked a pregnancy to get more food and more facilities like a separate room and AC.

Pandas are extremely clever and intelligent

J for Jaws

Panda face looks so fluffy and chubby, but under all that fluffiness is a very strong jaw. They have massive cheek muscles. The jaws and cheeks are so strong that they can actually bite into an aluminium dish. They also easily bite through thick bamboo stalks which are hard enough cut even with big knives and axes.

Pandas has a very strong jaw

K for Kid Friendly

Pandas are the most peaceful and friendliest animals. It is simply impossible to get scared of them. Cubs and giant pandas are both pretty friendly when it comes to interacting with people. The panda holding and panda volunteering program in China are popular all around the world. In these programs you can hold a panda and take photos with them, feed them, make their food, clean their enclosures, etc.

You can hold a panda

L for Legend

There is a beautiful legend in China as to how pandas got their distinctive black and white patches. The legend goes that pandas were once all white bears. Once a small tried to save a panda cub from a leopard and got killed in the process. When panda bears went to attend her funeral they were wearing black ashes as armband. When they hugged each and cried in sorrow the black got all over them. This might be just a legend, but a beautiful story nonetheless.

They hugged each and cried in sorrow the black got all over them

M for Mating

Female pandas are choosy when it comes to choosing their mate and the mating process takes about two to three days to complete. Once the mating is completed, the female pandas chase out the male pandas out of their territory and raise the cubs of their own.

Choosing their mate

N for Nixon Connection

Nixon was the first US president to visit China and when he came to China in 1972, Chinese leader, Chairman Mao, presented him with two cubs—Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing. Both the pandas were placed in National Zoo of Washington D.C.

O for Ovulation

Female pandas ovulate only once in a year, they are fertile only for two or three days of the year. That’s why panda keepers in zoo try very hard for male and female pandas to mate during that time. Some zoos even set up love caves for the male and female pandas to couple and spend time with each other.

The male and female pandas couple and spend time with each other

P for Panda Cubs

After the giant panda gets pregnant, the cub begins to grow inside only if the mother panda gets enough food. Once the cub starts to develop it takes 45-60 days before the cub is born. The panda cubs are usually born in the months of August and September. When they are born the cubs are so small, in the size of a small stick of butter. They have a pink skin and a very thin layer of fur. They have a long tail and no teeth. It takes two months for a cub to grow about the size of a human baby and two years before it leaves its mother. If you visit Chengdu Panda Base in autumn, you may have the chance to see the newly born panda cubs and baby pandas.

They have a pink skin and a very thin layer of fur

R for Rare

There was once a time where you could find pandas roaming freely in the bamboo lands and forests of China. It was so easy to spot one. But after war, the number of pandas became alarmingly few, Chinese government was quick to take conservation efforts. China was the first one to take conservation efforts for pandas; they took steps as early as 1950s.

The number of pandas became alarmingly few

S for Symbol of Hope and Conservation

When WWF chose pandas as their logo, they soon became the symbol for conservation of endangered animals and hope that species can be saved with combined efforts of Governments and NGOs. Pandas were also a symbol of peace to the Chinese. Hundreds of years ago warring tribes would fly up flags with picture of panda to call a truce.

T for Twinning

Pandas that are bred in captivity are usually born as pairs, i.e. twins. When twins are born in the wild, the mother usually ignores the weaker cub and nurtures the other one, as pandas can take care of only one cub at a time. New born pandas die if they do not get sufficient nutrition. More than half of new born pandas die due to diseases or because of being accidentally crushed by their mothers.

Pandas that are bred in captivity are usually born as pairs

V for Vulnerable

Pandas are no longer in the endangered category according to WWF. Thanks to the joint efforts of governments and conservation groups, pandas are no longer endangered species. They are now under the vulnerable species category. Even though the numbers of pandas have increased they still need extreme care and precaution to keep them safe.

Y for Yin and Yang Philosophy

Chinese believe in the Yin Yang philosophy which broadly means that universe is made up of two opposing forces. Pandas are known to be one of the symbols of this philosophy because of its distinctive black and white fur. Philosophers believe that the peaceful nature of pandas show how when yin and yang are balanced it brings peace and harmony to the world.

If you can not wait for a panda tour to see the lovely creatures, please feel free to contact us. We can help you arrange your trip to the panda bases in Chengdu and reserve the panda volunteer job for you.