The panda, with its distinctive black and white coat, is adored by the world and considered a national treasure in China.
In the wild, they are found in thick bamboo forests, high up in the mountains of central China.
They must eat around 26 to 84 pounds of it every day, depending on what part of the bamboo they are eating. They usually can eat up to 12 hours!
A baby panda is about 1/900th the size of its mother and females can grow up to about 200 pounds.
Male pandas can grow up to about 300 pounds as adults.
While bears typically hibernate, pandas do not. They travel down the mountain to warmer climates in the winter.
In their native habitat, there are only 1,864 giant pandas, and 600 others live in zoos or breeding centers worldwide.
Despite their exalted status and relative lack of natural predators, pandas are still at risk.
THEIR CRUCIAL ROLE
Pandas play such an important role in their ecosystem. Seeds and plant matter collects on their fur, which is then deposited as they move throughout their habitat.
They also climb trees and swim, which further helps disperse the seeds. They keep the forests healthy and thriving!
The biological diversity of the panda habitat is very unique in the temperate world of tropical ecosystems.
When humans protect pandas, we also protect all the other animals that live with them.
Without pandas, the bamboo supply would decrease leading to forests becoming unhealthy since no pandas would be spreading seeds around.
