TOP 10 FACTS ABOUT PANDAS

The panda, also known as the giant panda, is a bear species that is native to China. They are known for their distinctive black-and-white coloring, with black fur on their limbs, ears, and shoulders, and white fur covering the rest of their bodies.
Pandas are primarily herbivores, with their diet consisting mainly of bamboo shoots, stems, and leaves. They have a specialized digestive system that allows them to digest bamboo efficiently, despite its low nutritional content.

Pandas are solitary animals and are known for their slow reproductive rates, with females giving birth to a single cub every two to three years. They are also considered a vulnerable species, with habitat loss and fragmentation being the primary threats to their survival.
Pandas have become a popular symbol of conservation efforts and are protected by law in China. They are also frequently featured in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries around the world, where they serve as ambassadors for their species and raise awareness about the importance of protecting their natural habitats.

TOP 10 FACTS about Pandas

1. PANDAS HAVE EXCELLENT CAMOUFLAGE FOR THEIR HABITAT
   • The giant panda’s distinct black-and-white markings have two functions: camouflage and communication. Most of the panda – its face, neck, belly, rump – is white to help it hide in snowy habitats. The arms and legs are black, helping it to hide in shade.
2. THEIR EYES ARE DIFFERENT TO NORMAL BEARS
   • Like domestic cats, giant panda bears have vertical slits for pupils.
3. CUBS ARE WELL PROTECTED IN THEIR FIRST MONTH
   • Mother pandas keep contact with their cub nearly 100% of the time during their first month – with the cub resting on her front and remaining covered by her paw, arm or head.
4. PANDAS CAN SWIM AND EVEN CLIMB TREES
   • Giant pandas are good swimmers and excellent tree climbers. At 5 months old, giant panda cubs learn how to climb – sometimes practising by climbing on their mum.
5. A HELPING HAND
   • They have an extended wrist bone that they use like a thumb to help them grip food.
6. THEY SPEND A LOT OF THEIR DAY EATING
   • Giant pandas spend 10-16 hours a day feeding, mainly on bamboo.
7. BAMBOO IS CRITICAL TO THEIR DIET
   1. Pandas need at least 2 different bamboo species in their range to avoid starvation
8. BUT THEY DO OCCASIONALLY EAT SOMETHING OTHER THAN BAMBOO
   1. A panda’s diet is 99% vegetarian, which mostly includes bamboo roots, stems, shoots and leaves. However their digestive system is typical of a carnivore, so the remaining 1% of their diet can include eggs, small animals and carrion. Pandas are also known to forage in farmland for pumpkin, kidney beans, wheat and domestic pig food.
9. PANDAS SOMETIMES DO HANDSTANDS WHEN THEY WEE!
   1. Sometimes, to mark their scent, panda’s climb a tree backwards with their hindfeet until they’re in a full handstand upside down – enabling them to leave their scent higher up.
10. THEY LIKE TO KEEP IT REGULAR
    1. On average, pandas poo 40 times a day.

source – www.wwf.org.uk