Buzz
Legend has it that a courageous young girl once intervened to save a panda from a leopard's attack. At the time, giant pandas were entirely white, and the girl saw the leopard creeping up on a pure-white panda cub. Without hesitation, she leaped in front of the predator, distracting it long enough for the panda to escape. Sadly, the leopard turned on the girl, attacking and killing her.
In a touching tribute, many pandas attended the girl’s funeral to honor her bravery. The pandas, with black ashes smeared on their paws, embraced each other in mourning. As they wiped their eyes in grief, the ashes left marks, creating the iconic black-and-white appearance of pandas we recognize today.
As illustrated by the story above and the existence of jobs where you can hug pandas, it's clear that giant pandas are cherished creatures. However, they are also a vulnerable species, with fewer than 1,900 wild pandas remaining in the world and about 600 more in breeding centers and zoos globally.
Here are just a few compelling reasons why we must all work tirelessly to prevent the extinction of the panda.
10. The earliest known panda relative
In 2012, a study revealed that the oldest known relative of the giant panda was found in Spain, based on fossilized teeth discovered near Zaragoza. The species, named Agriarctos beatrix, is believed to be over 11 million years old. Researchers suggest that while these prehistoric bears might have shared similar black-and-white markings, they were much smaller than modern pandas, weighing around 60 kilograms. These early pandas would have likely climbed trees to avoid predators.
Some experts proposed that the panda's origins might be in Europe, not Asia, contrary to previous beliefs. However, palaeontologist Blaine Schubert stated that more evidence was needed to support this theory.
In 2017, fossilized teeth of a bear resembling a panda were discovered in Hungary. The findings suggested that this species had a diet similar to modern pandas, further strengthening the theory that pandas may have originated in Europe.
9. Transition to solid food
At birth, a panda cub is hairless, pink, and blind. Within a week, black fur begins to grow, followed by white hair after about a month, giving the cub its recognizable appearance. While pandas start walking much earlier than humans (around 3 months old), they begin eating solid food at a similar age (around 6 months). By this time, they can eat bamboo, which helps them grow faster.
In some cases, panda cubs can be fed dog milk, as it closely resembles panda milk. In 2000, a panda at the Beijing zoo gave birth to twins but couldn't produce enough milk for both. She nursed one cub and abandoned the other. The zoo placed an ad in a local paper for a nursing dog and soon found a surrogate dog to care for the abandoned cub. Even red panda cubs can survive on dog’s milk, as evidenced by two red panda cubs in 2009 who were nursed by a dog after their mother rejected them.
8. The digestive system of a carnivore
Pandas primarily consume bamboo, but because it has little nutritional value, they need to eat up to 38kg of it daily to meet their energy needs. In the wild, pandas occasionally supplement their diet with small rodents and other plants, making up about 1% of their overall intake.
Though giant pandas are herbivores, they belong to the bear family, meaning they possess the digestive system of a carnivore. However, they have adapted to rely almost entirely on bamboo, making them vulnerable to habitat loss. Pandas favor bamboo roots and shoots, and they enjoy eating up to 20 different bamboo species, including arrow bamboo, black bamboo, and water bamboo.
Pandas in captivity also consume fruit, with apples being their favorite. Some pandas even enjoy steamed cornbread.
7. A symbol of friendship and peace
While poaching does occur, the majority of Chinese people hold pandas in high regard, seeing them not just as symbols of good luck, but also of friendship and peace. When people encounter a panda, they often feed it, and if a panda is found injured, local authorities are notified immediately.
The panda is sometimes associated with the yin and yang symbol due to its distinct black-and-white fur and its peaceful nature, which is thought to represent balance and harmony. In Chinese history, the panda has been viewed as a powerful creature, with the Shangshu referring to it as 'invincible' and 'as strong as a tiger.'
In ancient times, a panda's fur was considered a royal gift, highly prized by kings and emperors. During the Ming dynasty, it was believed that the panda possessed mystical healing properties, capable of warding off tumors and plagues.
6. Pandas do not make roaring sounds.
Although pandas share similarities with other bears in terms of shape and size, they do not produce the characteristic roar of typical bears. Instead, they emit bleats resembling the sounds of goats, especially during mating. Pandas can also honk, growl, bark, and their cubs make croaky and whiny noises when hungry or seeking attention. In total, pandas are known to make around 13 distinct vocalizations.
Pandas lack the ability to convey emotions through facial expressions. They also cannot wag their short, stubby tails or move their ears. Rather, they communicate by secreting a dark, sticky substance from their anal glands and applying it to rocks and trees. This allows them to signal important information to other pandas, such as a female in heat or marking territorial boundaries. From these scent marks, pandas can interpret details like age, mood, gender, and reproductive state.
Occasionally, pandas mark their scent by climbing trees in reverse with their hind feet, and urinating while performing a handstand. This unique technique enables them to leave their scent higher up the tree.
5. Physical characteristics
While the iconic black and white fur of a panda is their most obvious feature, their coat serves a practical purpose beyond cuteness. The panda's face, neck, belly, and rump are predominantly white, helping it blend into snowy environments. In contrast, the black fur on its limbs aids in camouflage in shaded areas. Additionally, their thick, woolly fur acts as a shield against cold temperatures.
Pandas can reach up to 150 cm in height and weigh as much as 150 kg. Male pandas tend to be about 10% larger and 20% heavier than their female counterparts. To adapt to their bamboo diet, pandas have flat molar teeth designed for crushing bamboo. They also possess enlarged wrist bones that function as opposable thumbs, helping them grasp bamboo shoots.
In addition to the black fur patches around their eyes, pandas' eyes are distinct from other bears' due to their vertical slit-shaped pupils, similar to those of domestic cats. These dark eye patches help reduce glare from the sun during the day.
4. Pandas can get frustrated and may attack
Though much has been written about pandas' gentle and lovable nature, it is important to acknowledge that they can also become highly irritated and lash out at humans who disturb them.
Gu Gu, a panda at Beijing Zoo, had already bitten two people before Zhang Jiao fell into his enclosure. Zhang and his son were playing with a panda doll, tossing it back and forth. When his son threw the toy too forcefully, Zhang lunged at it, sending both him and the toy flying into Gu Gu's pen.
Gu Gu immediately bit into Zhang’s left leg, chewed through it, and then moved on to the right leg. The panda locked his jaws around Zhang’s leg, and zookeepers had to use various tools to pry open his mouth. Zhang later explained in an interview that he didn’t resist because he viewed the panda as a national treasure and felt deep love and respect for him.
In 2017, Gu Gu attacked a 15-year-old boy who climbed into the pen to get a closer view. Gu Gu also bit a drunken tourist who attempted to hug him, and in a strange turn of events, the tourist bit back.
3. The future of giant pandas
Considered a national treasure in China, wild giant pandas have seen a positive rebound in recent years. Due to a population increase of 17% over the past decade, their status was updated from 'endangered' to 'vulnerable.' The World Wide Fund (formerly the World Wildlife Fund) plays a significant role in protecting wild pandas by preserving their habitats and preventing human development from encroaching on these areas. WWF-China and its partners focus on maintaining panda corridors throughout China, including 34 million acres, two major river basins, and three provinces.
Since 1981, the WWF has collaborated with the Chinese government to implement strategies aimed at rescuing the panda from near extinction. Panda reserves now protect two-thirds of the wild panda population as well as bamboo forests in the mountainous regions. These efforts not only safeguard pandas but also provide shelter for many other species.
2. The discovery of the giant panda
Up until just 150 years ago, very few people knew of the existence of the giant panda. The first Westerner to learn about pandas was French missionary Armand David, who was given the skin of a panda by a hunter in Sichuan on March 11, 1869. David is also credited with being the first Westerner to see a live panda on April 1, 1869. He tried to send the animal to Paris, but it tragically died during transport. David later sent a specimen to a museum in Paris, where zoologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards studied it and, in 1870, published a paper recognizing the panda as a new species named 'Ailuropoda melanoleuca.'
The first Westerner to 'own' a live panda was German zoologist Hugo Weigold, who purchased a panda cub in 1916. In the 1920s, Kermit and Theodore Roosevelt Jr. became the first Westerners to hunt a panda.
1. Low birth rate
Every time a panda gives birth, particularly when twins are involved, zookeepers are filled with joy. Breeding pandas is notoriously challenging, which makes the birth of a panda cub a momentous event on a global scale. In 2015, Mei Xiang, a giant panda at the Smithsonian National Zoo, gave birth to two cubs, sparking widespread excitement. Almost 900,000 people watched the birth live via the ‘Panda Cam’ during and after the event.
Female pandas only ovulate once per year, offering a male panda a mere 40-hour window to successfully inseminate her. If the male fails, zookeepers must wait another year for the next opportunity. Sometimes male pandas struggle to figure out how to mount the females, leading to missed chances. As a result, many zookeepers resort to artificial insemination. Even then, determining whether a female panda is pregnant is notoriously difficult until she is close to delivering. Some females exhibit signs of pregnancy, such as increased sleep and nesting behavior, even when they aren't pregnant. Ultrasound scans are also challenging since panda foetuses are so small, and at times, a female's stool is mistakenly thought to be a baby.
