Panda
Legacy Name: Panda

The preferred diet of the Giant Panda is bamboo. 99% of their diet consists of bamboo - that's about 84 pounds of bamboo every day! They will also eat other grasses, as well as honey, eggs, yams, oranges, bananas and even small rodents! Giant Pandas in zoos are often given treats such as sugar cane, rice gruel, carrots, apples, sweet potatoes and a specially made 'Panda Cake', which consists of ground bamboo, rice flour, and corn.

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Giant Pandas really live up to their name. On all fours they can be 2-3 feet tall at the shoulder and reach 4-6 feet long! Males weigh up to 250 pounds while females are a little smaller at 220 pounds.

Panda's can be quite long lived, when protected and cared for in zoos they average a lifespan of about 30 years. However, in the wild they only average 14-20 years old.

Pandas don't make the kind of sound you would expect - rather than a growling they make a bleating type sound - almost like you would hear from a sheep. Of course, they do growl sometimes, as well as making honking and huffing sounds! Giant Pandas have up to 11 distinct calls that they use to communicate.

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Pandas aren't the most social animal and prefer to live alone most of the time. There is a short period every year where they will look for a mate - the males normally looking for the girls! They attract each other through scent marking - which involves rubbing on stones and trees and secreting an acidic smelling substance that is made by special glands - and calling. Females use scent marking to attract males, while males like to use theirs to claim their territory! This on time is the only time of year that the Panda is able to concieve and this period usually only lasts a few days. Giant Pandas reach sexual maturity between four and eight years old.

Pregnancy lasts between 95-160 days. 45% of pregancies result in twins, but mothers will only care for one cub. In the wild this mean that only one cub survives - but in zoos the zookeepers will step in and care for one cub, swapping it with the other so both cubs get care from both their mother and the zookeepers.

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At birth, cubs are pink with a thin white coat. Their eyes are closed and they are only 15cm long and weight only 120-175grams! At around one week old dark patches will start to appear on their eyes and ears, followed by their dark legs. At four weeks old the cubs open their eyes, and at around three months old they start to crawl. By the time they are 14 weeks old they will have their teeth. They will live on their mothers milk until they are six months old, then they will start on bamboo, but they will continue to nurse until they are 18 months old.

Cubs will stay with their mothers for about 2-3 years. Mothers are very protective and hold their cubs close, they wont even leave their den for around three days after giving birth, not even to eat or drink! Once the cubs are stong enough they will follow their mother around, using this time to learn about their home.

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Giant panda's are critically endangered. There are only between 1000 left in the wild and 300 in zoos. Their low numbers are caused by a number of reasons. These include:
- The Giant Pandas naturally low reproduction rate
- Bamboo Shortages - Bamboo grows slowly, normally Pandas would move to another area while bamboo is still growing in on area, but the clearing of bamboo forests has made this near impossible.
- Poachers - Poaching was common in the 1980-1990's but has now declined due to strict new laws and greater awareness. However traps set for other animals can accidentally kill Pandas.

Efforts to save Giants Pandas include strict punishments on poaching - someone caught killing a giant panda can recieve up to ten years in prison. The Chinese government has also set up wildlife reserves so that Pandas can live in their natural habitat without human intervention. Panda sanctuarys work to breed and be able to re-introduce Panda's to the wild

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Pandas are curious and playful. In zoos they love to play with piles of ice or sawdust, bamboo puzzles wth food hidden inside and searching for different scents.

Although Pandas are big, and have thick heavy bones, they are flexible and even love doing somersaults!

Male Pandas are referred to as boars or he-bears, females are sows or she-bears.

The name for a group of pandas is a sleuth or sloth.

The Chinese name for Panda - Xiongmao - literally means 'Giant Cat Bear'. This is because the Panda's pupils are slitted, like a cat, rather than round.

In China, the panda is a symbol of peace.

Panda's have four fingers and a 'thumb'. The thumb isn't like a human thumb, but is an extension of the wrist bone that acts as a thumb.

The Panda's fur is thick and well insulated - it is also oily and waterproof!

Every pandas markings are slightly different.

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