The giant panda is also known as the panda bear, bamboo bear, or in Chinese as Daxiongmao, the “large bear cat.” In fact, its scientific name means “black and white cat-footed animal.”
Giant pandas live in dense bamboo and coniferous forests at altitudes of 5,000 to 10,000 feet. The mountains are shrouded in heavy clouds with torrential rains or dense mist throughout the year.
Giant pandas have existed since the Pleistocene Era (about 600,000 years ago), when their geographic range extended throughout southern China. Fossil remains also have been found in present-day Burma.
Giant pandas are bear-like in shape with striking black and white markings.The ears, eye patches, legs, and shoulder band are black; the rest of thebody is whitish. They have a thick, woolly coat to insulate them from the cold. Adults are 4 to 6 feet long and may weigh up to 350 pounds, about the same size as the American black bear. However, unlike the black bear,giant pandas do not hibernate and cannot walk on their hind legs.
Giant pandas are among the rarest mammals in the world — there are probably fewer than 1,000 left in the wild. Although adult giant pandas have few natural enemies, the young are sometimes preyed upon by leopards.
The panda’s habitat is danger because of the distrucation of the forest. China’s rising population makes the need need for more land. The chinese goverment has 11 national parks set for the panda bear.
Giant pandas are victums of poaching, or illegal killing, as their
dense fur carries a high price in illegal markets in the Far East. The
Chinese government has imposed life sentences for those convicted of
poaching giant pandas.
The low reproductive capacity of the giant panda makes it more vulnerable to these threats, and less capable of rebounding from its low numbers.
In 1984, due to its dwindling numbers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
listed the giant panda as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. This means it is considered in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. This protection also prohibits giant pandas from being imported into the U.S. except under certain conditions.
(Source: ancienthistory.mrdonn.org)
