Top 12 Most Fascinating Facts About Pandas

The life of a panda can be divided into four key stages: infancy (0 – 4 months), juvenile (4 – 24 months), independent (1.5 – 2 years), and adulthood (4 – 6 years). However, when born, pandas do not have the typical black and white fur we often associate with them. In fact, newborn pandas are pink, and it takes about a month for their fur to gradually turn black and white.

Note: Since pandas are usually born in late summer or early fall (around August to September), if you want to witness the appearance of newborn pandas firsthand, visit the Chengdu Panda Base or the Bifengxia Panda Sanctuary in Ya'an. These facilities provide excellent care for the newborns, and if you're lucky, you might even see a mother panda nursing her baby.

Newborn pandas weigh around 80 – 200 grams and are about 15 cm long, roughly the size of a pencil. In contrast, adult pandas in captivity weigh around 80 – 130 kg, while wild pandas typically weigh between 60 – 100 kg. As these numbers suggest, there is a massive size difference between a baby panda and its mother (a newborn weighs only about 1/900th of the mother's weight).

Newborn pandas are unable to crawl until they are about three months old. They also can’t open their eyes until they are 45 days old, and they require careful care until they reach 120 days. By the time they are 14 months old, they will begin eating solid food, mainly bamboo. They will be weaned between 18 – 24 months and soon after, will leave their mother to live independently. Meanwhile, the mother prepares for the next round of childbirth.

Pandas are often referred to as 'living fossils' or 'national treasures' due to their long history. This species appeared abruptly at the end of the Pliocene or the beginning of the Pleistocene, which means they’ve been around for over 2 to 3 million years. Panda fossils have been discovered in Myanmar, Vietnam, and especially in western China.

Pandas have a relatively long lifespan. In the wild, they can live for about 20 years, while pandas in captivity can live between 25 and 35 years. The oldest known captive panda was a female named Xinxing at the Chongqing Zoo, who lived to be 38 years old before passing away due to organ failure on December 8, 2020.

Previously, Jia Jia, a panda at Hong Kong Ocean Park born in 1978, also lived to 38 years, passing away on October 16, 2016. This is equivalent to over 130 years in human terms.

Pandas have five fingers on each hand, including an additional thumb-like appendage. This 'pseudo thumb' is actually an enlarged wrist bone that extends outward and functions like a thumb. The muscles controlling the wrist bones are specially adapted to allow the pseudo thumb to move and grip bamboo stalks with ease.

Adult pandas spend a large part of their day resting, wandering, and foraging for food in bamboo forests across the mountainous regions of central China, primarily in Sichuan province, according to Tree Hugger. Their distinctive appearance features black fur around their eyes, ears, and all over their bodies. Panda footprints clearly show five claws, and their short claws give them exceptional climbing abilities.

Despite their chubby, round appearance and seemingly lazy demeanor, don't be fooled into thinking pandas can't climb. In fact, they are quite skilled at it! Wild pandas climb trees to escape predators, while those in captivity may climb and even sleep in trees simply because the view from above is ideal for observation.

Another interesting fact is that pandas are strong swimmers. They swim with remarkable confidence and ease, almost like professional athletes. If threatened, they can rely on their swimming abilities to escape danger.

One reason pandas are classified as an endangered species is their reluctance to mate. Female pandas are only fertile for 2 to 3 days a year, and unfortunately, some male pandas are completely clueless when it comes to mating.

There's a funny story about this issue at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. (USA). The pandas Tian Tian and Mei Xiang were given several opportunities to mate, but neither could figure out the proper position. According to David Wildt, the director of the Conservation Biology Center: "Instead of pulling Mei Xiang into his embrace, Tian Tian climbed onto her back and froze there, much like a man who’s just opened an IKEA box and has no idea what to do next." It's truly a dilemma for pandas born in captivity.

Giant pandas have very few natural enemies, with humans being the most dangerous. Snow leopards are known predators of adult pandas, and wild dogs can threaten panda cubs. Due to their large size and sharp teeth, few animals dare to attack a full-grown panda. However, panda cubs are more vulnerable to predators like wild dogs, snow leopards, and golden jackals. In general, pandas are relatively safe in the wild, with poaching being the biggest threat to their survival.

Increasing human populations in China have depleted the forests where giant pandas live and forage, and urban expansion has contributed to the declining panda population. According to scientists from the Ministry of Forestry, only about 1,000 giant pandas remain in the wild in China. The Chinese government has teamed up with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to boost panda numbers through breeding programs and by raising public awareness about the species' plight.

Here are some more fascinating facts about pandas:

• Pandas have poor eyesight and rely more on spatial memory than visual memory to judge distances.
• Unlike most bears, pandas do not hibernate. Before winter, they migrate from mountain caves to warmer areas.
• Pandas don't growl like brown bears. Instead, they make a bleating sound similar to sheep or goats.
• Pandas use their fluffy tails to rub against trees and mark their territory. They have scent glands under their tails to signal that the area is theirs and off-limits to others.
• Pandas can eat incredibly fast, finishing off a bamboo shoot in just 40 seconds.
• Their throats and intestines are lined with a thick mucus layer to protect them from sharp bamboo fragments.
• Pandas don't have a designated resting spot. They rest whenever and wherever they feel like it.
• They don't communicate through facial expressions.

Pandas have their iconic black-and-white fur. The black fur is only around their eyes, ears, and legs, while the rest of their body is completely white.

Many Chinese philosophers believe that the universe is made up of two opposing forces, Yin and Yang. Because of this, the panda, with its contrasting black-and-white fur, is seen as a perfect representation of this philosophy. If you look at a panda's fur, you might notice it resembles the Yin-Yang symbol, representing the balance of opposites.

Although pandas belong to the carnivore group, the reality is that over 99% of their diet consists of bamboo and its leaves. On average, an adult panda consumes at least 18 kg of bamboo leaves daily. If you visit Sichuan, especially the 'Panda Paradise' in Chengdu or Dujiangyan, you'll see that most pandas there are fed fresh bamboo leaves and bamboo shoots.

In the wild, pandas occasionally eat grass, wild roots, bird meat, small mammals, and even carcasses. Pandas in captivity may also enjoy honey, eggs, fish, carrots, sweet potatoes, shrub leaves, and fruits like apples, oranges, or bananas. Volunteers working at panda conservation centers are often specially trained to make 'panda cakes,' which they can later feed to the pandas themselves.

As mentioned earlier, bamboo is the primary food source for pandas, and probably because their diet consists entirely of fiber, they have to eat a lot (over 12 hours a day) to get enough nutrition. The rest of the time is spent resting and sleeping. After eating, they usually nap for 2 to 4 hours before waking up to eat again. It's a cycle of eating and sleeping that truly makes them live the good life.

If you're planning a visit to see pandas at a sanctuary or zoo, it's best to go in the morning. Pandas typically begin eating around 8 a.m., and that's also when they're most active, giving panda enthusiasts the chance to witness their adorable and sometimes hilarious moments.