Giant Panda

The giant panda (or Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a species of bear native to the mountains of Central China. They have black and white fur in a distinctive pattern, with black legs, ears and circles around their eyes. Pandas feed almost exclusively on bamboo and, as a result, are extremely dependent on rich bamboo forests to survive. This is a low energy food, so pandas must eat a lot of it to live and spend most of their waking hours foraging and eating. Their low energy intake also means they produce very tiny and vulnerable cubs. Giant pandas commonly reach a body length of 1.2m to 1.8m and may stand from 0.6m to 0.9m tall at the shoulder. Males can grow 10% to 20% larger than females, and are also heavier on average, with a weight of 85kg to 125kg compared to a female’s 70kg to 100kg.

Giant pandas are now considered Vulnerable, having improved from previous assessments as Endangered. The species is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation due to deforestation and urbanisation over past decades, having destroyed much of the bamboo forest that pandas rely on. This fragments the population, and limits their ability to find mates. Additionally, bamboo sometimes undergoes mass flowering and die-offs – pandas that cannot relocate to new habitats face starvation. Climate change can further disrupt bamboo growth; and the naturally slow reproduction rate of giant pandas limits their ability to recover from population declines. China has put a lot of effort into conserving the panda population. Currently, there are dozens of panda reserves protecting a large portion of the remaining pandas. Habitat restoration efforts create linking corridors between habitats, enabling pandas to move freely to access new food and mates. Captive‑breeding programs and careful management of panda populations have complemented habitat-based strategies, providing a safety net should wild populations suffer further decline.