Panda bears, also known as giant pandas, grow wild in the Midwest and Southwest China. Panda bears have distinct physical characteristics, including large patches of black fur around the eyes, above the ears, and throughout the round body covered with white fur. Their bodies are round for their diet. Although pandas are classified as carnivores, they mainly eat bamboo. Panda bears will occasionally eat other foods such as honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges and bananas.
The average panda bear eats as much as 20-30 pounds of bamboo shoots a day. Pandas eat a low nutritional diet, so it is important to keep the digestive tract full. The limited energy input imposed on it by the diet influenced the panda’s behavior. Giant pandas tend to limit their social interaction and avoid steep terrain to limit energy consumption. For more information on pandas’ diet and behavior, see environmental magazines such as the Smithsonian, Audubon, and Preservation.
In the wild, pandas have a life expectancy of about 14 to 20 years. In human-controlled habitats, expectations are about 30 years.
The panda bear is listed as an endangered species. According to National Geographic, the latest estimate for wild pandas is 1,600. The biggest threat to panda species is habitat loss and declining birthrate. Poaching by locals and foreigners also threatens the survival of pandas.
Efforts to maintain panda populations are international. In China, Sichuan Province has a panda sanctuary called the Giant Panda Sanctuary in Sichuan Province, which is protected by law from the Chinese government and other wildlife sanctuaries. In the United States, zoo researchers like the San Diego Zoo are studying the behavior and needs of pandas and want to learn how to take good care of their animals. Some of the behaviors and needs being studied are panda scent markings, nutritional needs, and how they communicate with each other. In addition, global environmental groups such as the World Wildlife Fund are working to protect pandas.
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