The
giant panda, or panda is a bear native to central-western and south western
China. It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around
the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though it belongs to the
order Carnivora, the panda's diet is 99% bamboo. Pandas in the wild will
occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds,
rodents or carrion. In captivity they may receive honey, eggs, fish, yams,
shrub leaves, oranges, or bananas along with specially prepared feed
The giant
panda lives in a few mountain ranges in central China, mainly in Sichuan
province, but also in the Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Due to farming,
deforestation and other development, the panda has been driven out of the
lowland areas where it once lived.
The panda is
a conservation reliant endangered species. A 2007 report shows 239 pandas
living in captivity inside China and another 27 outside the country. Wild
population estimates vary; one estimate shows that there are about 1,590
individuals living in the wild, while a 2006 study via DNA analysis estimated
that this figure could be as high as 2,000 to 3,000. Some reports also show
that the number of pandas in the wild is on the rise. However, the IUCN does
not believe there is enough certainty yet to reclassify the species from
Endangered to Vulnerable.
While the
dragon has historically served as China's national emblem, in recent decades
the panda has also served as an emblem for the country. Its image appears on a
large number of modern Chinese commemorative silver, gold, and platinum coins.
Though the panda is often assumed to be docile, it has been known to attack
humans, presumably out of irritation rather than predation.
