Giant Panda

Endangered

Ailuropoda melanoleuca

Size: 5 feet long, 32 inches tall, 220 - 330 pounds

Lifespan: 14 - 20 years in the wild, 30 years in zoos

Range/Habitat: Southwestern China in six small bamboo and conifer forest fragments at altitutes of at least 4000 feet.

Pandas are actually technically carnivores that have adapted to live on bamboo. They will eat small animals if they can catch them, but they are so lethargic, such catchings are rare.

Pandas are largely solitary animals that communicate through scent markings. They generally only meet during mating and the mother and cub are together for one and a half to three years. Female pandas only ovulate for 2-3 days a year in the spring and send out signals for male pandas during this time. When born, the cub is no larger than a stick of butter and stays in the den with the mother for days after birth.

Conservation Concerns:

It is estimated that there are only 1600 giant pandas left in the wild, with 160 in zoos and conservation centers. The primary threat to the giant panda population is habitat loss for agriculture, logging, and human development. Hunting and accidental trapping, while illegal, are also serious threats.

Today zoologists in the United States are working with zoologists in China to learn as much as possible about panda reproduction and conservation to save this species. Breakthroughs in artificial incemination have allowed researchers to step in when nature has failed to try to save this species.