Giant Panda

 

This week we are looking at the giant panda, which is a bear, I never thought of them as being part of the bear family.

Giant pandas belong to the bear family, whereas red pandas are in their own family, and they are more closely related to raccoons. Interestingly, giant pandas are more closely related to polar bears than to red pandas.

Giant pandas are typically 4 to 6 feet long and stand 2 to 3 feet tall at the shoulder. They can weigh between 220 and 330 pounds, with males tending to be larger than females,  Newborn pandas are very small, about the size of a stick of butter. 

Giant pandas live in the mountain ranges of southwestern China, specifically in the provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu. They inhabit bamboo forests at elevations between 5,000 and 10,000 feet. Their habitat is characterized by humid, wet conditions and is often shrouded in mist and clouds.

A panda's daily diet consists almost entirely of the leaves, stems and shoots of various bamboo species. Bamboo contains very little nutritional value so pandas must eat 12-38kg every day to meet their energy needs.

Scientists are not sure how long giant pandas live in the wild, but they are sure it is shorter than lifespans in zoos. They estimate that lifespan is about 15-20 years for wild pandas and about 30 years for those in human care. Chinese scientists have reported zoo pandas as old as 35.

Pandas are dependent on their mothers for the first few months of their lives and are fully weaned at 8 to 9 months. Most pandas leave their mothers when she becomes pregnant again, usually at about 18 months. Gestation takes from 95-160 days. Pandas normally give birth to single young. Twins seem to be born more frequently in captivity, when artificial insemination is used. The reproductive rate is about 1 cub every 2 years.

They are friendly and cheerful, Pandas have bundles of energy and warmth. They are confident and love trying out new things. Sociable and party-loving, they enjoy seeing friends and often put their friends' feelings ahead of their own.

While pandas are known for their clumsy and lazy behaviour often observed in captivity or during feeding, they are actually proficient tree climbers and swimmers. 

There are the only two panda species found the giant and the red.. Despite their similarity in name, the two are not scientifically connected. They share the same geographical area and similar food.