Animal Guide

Being a bear species, the giant panda is built just like any other bear but has the most distinct appearance of all species; its white body with black eye patches, muzzle, ears, legs and band across the shoulders can be recognized by anyone in the world. It inhabits in the remote mountain areas in China. Ever since its existence was introduced to Europe by a French missionary, Armand David in 1869, this teddy-bear-like animal became very popular and never stopped exciting people’s curiosity. Today, the popularity of the giant panda continues not only in Japan but all over the world and people just love its adorable appearance and comical behaviors. Giant pandas feed almost entirely on bamboo leaves and stalks. Although classified as carnivore, their diet mostly consists of plants and they are rarely found feeding on small animals. Their digestive system is not very efficient, and most food they eat is excreted without being digested. Giant pandas are usually solitary and spend most of the day feeding. The number of young per litter is usually 1 or 2. Cubs, only weighing 100 _ 150 grams at birth, are covered with sparse white fur and have no black markings. It takes panda cubs 1 to 2 months to open their eyes, 6 months to wean, and 12 months to leave their mothers.

The giant panda lives in bamboo forests at 1,300 to 3,500 meters above sea level in Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi provinces in China. According to the surveys and protection programs conducted since the 1980’s, the population of giant pandas has remained at about 800 to 1200. This is said to be due to logging operations by the China’s open-door policy, as well as land development and poaching. Pandas do not breed well and mothers do not devote themselves to raising their offspring, which also attribute to the endangered status. Today, many attempts are made to breed the giant panda such as artificial insemination.