Giant pandas are one of the cutest animals in the world. Their black and white fur and chubby bodies make people want to hug them. But, did you know there are many interesting facts about giant pandas? Let’s take a look!

Giant pandas are not named because of their Like bears, but because they sound like sheep. The giant panda is called "cat bear" in Chinese, which means "cat-like bear". However, giant pandas are actually not directly related to cats or bears. They belong to the order Carnivora, the family Ursidae, and the subfamily Giant Panda.

Giant pandas have a special structure in their eyes called "spectacle membranes" that help them see more clearly in the dark. This structure also reflects light, allowing the giant panda's eyes to glow faintly at night, like some nocturnal animals.

Giant pandas’ teeth are much larger than those of other carnivores because of the force they need to bite through bamboo. Bamboo is the main food of giant pandas. They eat 12 to 38 kilograms of bamboo every day, equivalent to 15% to 40% of their body weight. Bamboo is not easy to digest, so giant pandas spend a lot of time and energy chewing and digesting it.

Giant pandas have six fingers, one of which is a prosthetic thumb that helps them grasp bamboo. This prosthetic thumb is actually an enlarged wrist bone that can move with the other five fingers to form a structure similar to the human palm. This prosthetic thumb is a special adaptation evolved by giant pandas.

Giant pandas do not like to socialize and usually live alone. They only seek out mates during the mating season, and they mate only in the spring. It is difficult to determine the pregnancy period of giant pandas because they have a phenomenon called "pseudopregnancy", which is that they will show signs of pregnancy even if they are not pregnant. Giant pandas usually give birth to one or two cubs and only raise one of them.

Giant panda cubs are born very It is small, only weighing 100 to 200 grams, equivalent to 0.1% to 0.2% of the body weight of an adult giant panda. They are born hairless and blind, completely dependent on their mother for protection and suckling. They won't start eating bamboo until 6 to 8 months old, and they won't be completely weaned until 18 to 24 months old.

The lifespan of giant pandas is generally about 15 to 20 years, but they can live longer in captivity. In 2019, Jia Jia, a captive giant panda in Hong Kong's Ocean Park, passed away at the age of 38, which is equivalent to 110 years in human terms. So far, this is the longest-lived giant panda in the world, and has been officially certified by Guinness World Records

The giant panda is a national treasure of China and a symbol of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Giant pandas were once distributed in many places in China, but due to human activities and environmental changes, their habitats have been severely damaged and reduced, resulting in a sharp decline in their numbers. Currently, there are only about 1,800 giant pandas in the wild, distributed in the mountainous areas of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces in southwestern China. In order to protect giant pandas, the Chinese government and international organizations have made a lot of efforts to establish giant panda reserves, artificial breeding centers and international cooperation projects. After years of efforts, the number of giant pandas has increased and their protection level has been lowered from endangered to vulnerable.

In addition to China, some giant pandas live in zoos in other countries. These giant pandas are leased by the Chinese government to other countries, usually as a symbol of friendship or diplomacy. The leasing fees for these giant pandas are high, generally around US$1 million per year, and all giant panda cubs born abroad must be returned to China. Currently, in addition to China, there are 22 countries where giant pandas live, with a total of 58 individuals.

Giant pandas are very smart and interesting animals. They have many cute and interesting behaviors. For example, they like to roll around, climb trees, play in the snow, play with toys, etc. They also express their emotions and wishes, such as shaking their heads, nodding, barking, biting, etc. They also use urine and secretions to mark their territory and information. They can even imitate human movements and sounds, such as clapping, yawning, saying "mom," etc.

The above are ten interesting facts about giant pandas. What do you think? I hope you enjoyed my article and learned more about and love giant pandas!