Giant pandas are notorious for their black and white bodies, lazy lifestyle, cute cubs and love for bamboo, but there's much more to them. They're the beloved national symbol of China and a widespread favorite, so what’s all the hype about? Here are 11 reasons to get on the panda-loving bandwagon:
1. Captive pandas somehow always manage to do something hilarious.
2. They're (mostly) vegetarian carnivores.
The giant panda’s diet consists of 99 percent bamboo, which is ironic because they’re actually a part of the carnivora order—meaning that their bodies are built to eat mostly meat. Pandas choose the vegetarian lifestyle because bamboo, a member of the grass family, is a much more reliable source of food. These bears are highly specialized for life in the bamboo forests of China, except when it comes to their digestive system; most of what they eat isn’t even fully broken down. Because of this, pandas must eat in large quantities to gain the nutrients they need. In a single day, pandas spend around 10-16 hours eating 20-40 pounds of bamboo.
3. Both captive and wild pandas spend most of their days sleeping.
When pandas aren’t looking for food or eating, they’re sleeping. And when they are awake, they move at a casual and slow pace, as if they have all the time in the world. This has to do with the giant panda’s inefficient digestive system, which requires a lot of energy to break down their vegetarian diet.
4. Male pandas do handstands when they pee.
Even though pandas are somewhat slow, they're coordinated enough to do handstands! These bears, like many mammals, mark their territory by rubbing their bodies (and butts) on trees, leaving their excrement out in the open, and urinating on foliage. Zoologists believe that male pandas try to pee as high up on the tree as they can in order to establish dominance and cover up any competitor’s scent.
5. Female pandas are only fertile for two days of the entire year.
It’s amazing that, with such a small window of opportunity to become pregnant, pandas have survived for around two million years. However, giant pandas have been on the endangered species list since the '80s because of human interference with their already limited sex life. People encroach upon the panda habitat, and inhibit the mating process as a result. Pandas who are in captivity also find it difficult to mate, and keepers often go to extreme measures to help them produce cubs.
6. Pandas are dedicated mothers.
Newborn pandas only weigh three to five ounces—about the size of a stick of butter—and are entirely dependent on their mothers. Their eyes take around six to eight weeks to open and they’re not fully mobile until three months old. Pandas become independent at two to three years old, and reach sexual maturity at four to eight.
7. They're one of only a few bears that don't hibernate in the winter.
Because their food source is available year round, pandas do not hibernate. Another reason for this is because of their need to eat frequently, as mentioned above. Pandas wouldn’t make it through the winter if they hibernated because their diet doesn’t sustain them for long periods of time. Instead, pandas migrate to lower altitudes or take refuge in dens when temperatures drop.
8. Pandas have six "fingers."
9. They're great climbers.
Although baby pandas are rather clumsy, they are able to climb trees at only six months old. This is a survival tactic used by cubs to avoid predators when their mothers are busy eating.
10. Weird facts aside, pandas are just plain cute.
11. You can visit panda sanctuaries for a chance to meet them.
To find out more about giant pandas and to learn how you can help with the efforts to prevent them from going extinct, check out The World Wildlife Fund.
