You’ve probably come across pandas in various action movies, zoos or even cartoons. Let’s find out some fascinating facts concerning pandas. If you have noticed the official logo of WWF (World Wildlife Fund), then the panda is not a new term to you to explore. They are actually a specific species of bear that are mostly found in the forests of China. Their black and white appearances make them different from other bears. The nose, ears, eyes, legs, and shoulders are covered by black fur, while the rest of the body is wrapped up with white fur. Due to their unique color combinations, it is difficult to spot them in the jungle.
The weight of a male panda, the boar as it is called, may reach up to 250 pounds. The female panda may weigh up to 230 pounds and is also known as the sow. They are usually five to six feet long and their lifespan lies between 15-20 years.
Pandas are known for their mastery at climbing trees and they can swim fast to get rid of their predators. They use their large wrists to grip their foods. They have sound jaws and large molars that help them to eat their favorite food, bamboo. They can consume around 25 to 40 pounds of bamboo per day. In case they can`t find some real strong bamboos, therefore they prefer to feed on honey, vines, flowers, grass, green corns, and rodents.
Generally, pandas prefer living alone, but sometimes they will socialize through vocalizing. They do not live in a permanent residence. Instead, they find new rock ledges and stumps where they like to sleep. The giant panda is quite different from other species of bears. They travel to low elevations during winter to stay warm. Once the weather turns warm, they move to the high altitudes to stay cool.
The cubs of pandas are born in late summer and they are about six inches long. An interesting fact about the baby panda is that after their births, the baby pandas remain blind for two months. They start moving at the age of three months. Initially, their bodies do not contain any fur, but once they start growing, their bodies are covered with it. The baby pandas weigh around half a pound and they suckle a mother’s milk for the first six months.
When the baby pandas reach the age of seven months, they start adapting on how to climb trees. They stay with their mother till the age of three and then they can start living their own. When a mother panda holds her baby in her arm, it looks very similar to the way human mothers cradle their babies. It is very exciting to see the growing lives of pandas. During this stage, they love to jump, roll over, trip and fall around.
Wildlife experts have listed the pandas among endangered species. They are losing their habitats because farmers have started chopping bamboo plants to grow crops. In addition, the growing demand for care products has also shattered their habitats to a great extent.