10 Facts About Giant Pandas

There are more of them

According to the World Wildlife Fund, China reported a 17% rise in the wild giant panda population back in 2015. This growth is exceptionally good. Though we cannot let our guard down. There are still only about 2,000 pandas in the wild located in China’s Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. This places their conservation status in the vulnerable range.

They have slits for eyes

All bears have round pupils. Except for the panda. Not so different from a cat’s pupils, the pupils on a panda are slits that run vertically down the eye. This gives the panda superb vision at night. That’s good considering pandas are always eating regardless if the sun is up or not.

Watch a panda cam live

Many zoos have live webcams to view their main attractions. Pandas tend to be in this category. Here is a limited list of live cameras to view your favorite bear.

Smithsonian National Zoo Panda Cam
San Diego Zoo Panda Cam
Atlanta Zoo Panda Cam
Shenshuping Gengda Panda Center in China This one has sound!!
Memphis Zoo

Pandas are rented

Pandas are coveted in the zoological community for obvious reasons. If the zoo or nature reserve has the money, then China will rent the pandas at around a hefty $1 million. This is all contingent on the approval of the Chinese government. Panda are usually rented in pairs. This is to promote breeding in effort to raise the panda population.

They will murder you

Sure. They are cute and cuddly. They have become bonded with their handlers and seem well behaved. Make no mistake though. These are bears. They can and have killed or injured people in the past. These three zoo goers in China were lucky to escape with their lives (Warning: Graphic pictures).

Pandas are magnificent creatures, but it’s best if you admire them from a distance.

Six fingers?

At first glance, it looks like pandas have 5 fingers and a thumb. The “thumb” is an extended wrist bone that acts like a thumb to help them grab and hold onto food.

They are HUNGRY

According to the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington D.C., pandas spend a great deal of time eating. Their main diet is bamboo, and they can spend about 10 to 16 hours each day munching on 20-40 pounds of their favorite snack.

POOP!

20 to 40 pounds of food has to go somewhere. Pandas poop about 40 times a day. Made mostly of undigested bamboo, pandas poop over 20 pounds a day. That’s a lot of poop, but some companies are taking advantage of this. Enter – PANDA POO! A Chinese firm is producing luxury facial tissue made with recycled Panda poop.

Pandas don’t hibernate

Unlike most bears, pandas don’t sleep away the Winter months. Every day is business as usual. Unless, it’s mating season (around March). Then it’s time to for some loving.

It’s a tough world at first

When born, pandas are blind. They are totally dependent on their mothers. Usually pandas are born in twos, and it’s usually only the strong one survives. In captivity, handlers will care for one baby while the mother rears the other. These babies are frequently swapped with the mother until the cubs are well enough to both be with mom.