The 16th of March is a big day for us at the Panda Hub team, here’s a little more about why the day is so important.
The Panda, a bamboo consuming fluffball (not the scientific name, that would be Ailuropoda melanoleuca).
An iconic animal that inspired organizations to protect millions of animals and millions of acres of viable habitats.
National Panda Day exists to bring awareness to the issues that Pandas have been facing over the last century or so.
They had been hunted and displaced to the brink of extinction.
Pandas Plight
They have been facing danger of being extinct since the mid 1900s, WWF had the Giant Panda listed as Endangered.
They rebounded in population by 2017, with a growth of 17% and up to 1800 living in the wild.
They are still at risk of extinction and listed as Vulnerable with the WWF, but major progress has been made.
Historically, their situation was so dire that a Giant Panda at London Zoo inspired the WWF’s logo in 1961, and has since become the symbol of conservation worldwide.
You can read more about the WWF’s journey with Pandas here.
The biggest threat to the Giant Panda is a loss of habitat.
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They live high in the mountain forests of southwest China, and despite their remote habitat, deforestation and infrastructure development (roads, dams and railways) continually divide populations and prevent Pandas from meeting potential mates.
Thankfully, this problem comes with solutions.
WWF have created reserves for Pandas and other animals to exist in peace, spanning over 34 million acres as of Spring 2017.
You can read more about this here.
Panda Facts
Now that you know why the national day is so important, here’s some reasons as to why we love Pandas so much.
- The Giant Panda, despite their size, are talented climbers. Females in the wild weigh up to 200lbs, while males can reach 300lbs. They’re still adept climbers while fully grown, which is really impressive. They reach between 4 and 6 feet tall while on their hind legs too!
- When Pandas are born, they’re incredibly small. And now that you know how large they grow to be, imagine a baby Panda being the size of a stick of butter.
- Scientists still aren’t certain as to why Pandas have their distinctive black and white markings.
- Pandas are solitary animals in the wild, but will still communicate with each other through chirps, honks, bleats, chomps and barks.
- Pandas may be herbivores, but have a digestive system that is closer to that of a carnivore. This means that they need to consume a lot of bamboo in order to survive. They spend most of their time eating, approximately 12 hours a day.
- As well as having a digestive system that resembles a carnivore, their bite is as strong as a lions!
From a team of Panda lovers to you, we hope this has been educational and helpful!
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