Giant Panda

Neamtu Alexandra
Strichea Anamaria-Hortensia

Grupa 811 B, Anul I

Facultatea de Medicina Veterinara

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

OVERVIEW
The rarest member of the bear family, pandas live mainly in
bamboo forests high in the mountains of western China, where they
subsist almost entirely on bamboo. A giant pandas digestive system
is more similar to that of a carnivore than an herbivore, and so much
of what is eaten is passed as waste. To make up for the inefficient

digestion, a panda needs to consume a comparatively large amount

of foodfrom 20 to 40 pounds of bamboo each dayto get all its
nutrients. To obtain this much food means that a panda must spend
10 to 16 hours a day foraging and eating. The rest of its time is
spent mostly sleeping and resting.
A newborn panda is about the size of a stick of butter (113
grams) but can grow to up to 330 pounds as an adult. These bears
are excellent tree climbers despite their bulk.
Though solitary animals, pandas still communicate with one
another through vocalization and scent marking. They spray urine,
claw tree trunks and rub against objects to mark their paths.
Pandas are the rarest member of the bear family. A 2004
survey showed that fewer than 1,600 live in the wild. But that's 40%
more than were thought to exist in the 1980s.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
The giant panda, a black-and-white bear, has a body typical of
bears. It has black fur on ears, eye patches, muzzle, legs, and
shoulders. The rest of the animal's coat is white. Although scientists
do not know why these unusual bears are black and white, some
speculate that the bold coloring provides effective camouflage into
their shade-dappled snowy and rocky surroundings. The panda's
thick, wooly coat keeps it warm in the cool forests of its habitat.
Giant pandas have large molar teeth and strong jaw muscles for
crushing tough bamboo. Many people find these chunky, lumbering

animals to be cute, but giant pandas can be as dangerous as any

other bear.

DEVELOPMENT
At birth, the cub is helpless, and it takes considerable effort on
the mothers part to raise it. A newborn cub weighs three to five
ounces and is about the size of a stick of butter. The cub is pink,
hairless and blind. Except for a marsupial (such as the kangaroo or
opossum), a giant panda baby is the smallest mammal newborn
relative to its mother's size being 900 times smaller.

Cubs do not open their eyes until they are six to eight weeks of
age and are not mobile until three months. A cub may nurse for
eight to nine months. A cub is nutritionally weaned at one year, but
not socially weaned for up to two years.

WHY THEY MATTER

Pandas play a crucial role in the bamboo forests where they
roam by spreading seeds and facilitating growth of vegetation. In
the Yangtze Basin where pandas live, the forests are home to a
stunning array of wildlife such as dwarf blue sheep, multicolored
pheasants and other endangered species, including the golden
monkey, takin and crested ibis.
The pandas habitat is at the geographic and economic heart of
China, home to millions of people. By making this area more

sustainable, we are also helping to increase the quality of life of

local populations. Pandas bring huge economic benefits to local
communities through ecotourism.

THREATS
HUNTING
Hunting remains an ever-present threat. Poaching the animals
for their fur has declined due to strict laws and greater public
awareness of the pandas protected status. But hunters seeking
other animals in panda habitats continue to kill pandas accidentally.

HABITAT LOSS
Chinas Yangtze Basin region, which holds the pandas primary
habitat, is the geographic and economic heart of this booming

country. Roads and railroads are increasingly fragmenting the forest,

which isolates panda populations and prevents mating.
Forest destruction also reduces pandas access to the bamboo
they need to survive. The Chinese government has established more
than 50 panda reserves, but only around 61% of the countrys
panda population is protected by these reserves.

FACTS ABOUT GIANT PANDAS

o The giant pandas black and white coat and prominent
black eye patches have made it one of the best known
species, although it is among the shyest and rarest
animals in the world.
o In 1936, American fashion designer Ruth
Harkness captures and takes the baby panda Su-Lin to
the United States, making the cub an instant "celebrity"
and evoking universal sympathy for the plight of the
species and creating the 'panda cult'.

o At first glance, the giant panda would seem to resemble a

bear, but in fact its features show it has a stronger affinity
with racoons.
o Pandas may climb as high as 4,000 meters to feed on
higher slopes in the summer season.
o It appears to use no special resting place, but simply lies
down on the ground wherever it happens to be.

o Five months after mating, a single cub is born in a nest of

bamboo. It is rare for a female panda to give birth to
twins; if she does so, the second cub is unlikely to
survive.
o The Chinese once hunted it, believing that its pelt
provided magical protection against evil spirits. Today,
however, hunting carries strict penalties in China.
o Birthday cakes are often offered to captive pandas for
fun. The cakes are completely healthy since they are

made from ice and vegetables. The candles are usually

bamboo sticks.
o Young pandas are much like kids, they like to have fun.
They are very energetic and clumsy.

Sources:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/giant-panda
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/giantpandas/pandafacts/default.cfm

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/giant-panda/
http://www.bearlife.org/panda-bear.html
http://www.animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/giant-panda/
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/giant_panda/?
src=footer