What is it about those cute and cuddly Panda Bear babies you see at the zoo that grabs your attention? Could it be the fact that they seem to be almost like a mystic creature? Believe it or not the Panda was once thought of as a magical creature, that had powers to ward off evil spirits and natural disasters. So in theory you are thinking along the right lines.
The adult Panda Bear can be 5 to 6 feet tall and weigh 276 pounds, the male can weigh more than 10 to 20% more than the females. Since the Panda Bear doesn’t really have any enemies except for humans they usually live 25 years or more. Their diet consists mostly of fifteen different types of Bamboo. The Panda has to feed 12 to 16 hours a day and they can consume 22 to 40 pounds of Bamboo in one day. But if eating fresh Bamboo shoots they can consume at least 84 pounds of it every day. The reason they eat so much is because they have an inefficient intestinal system.
You and many others probably think of the Panda Bear as a docile and peaceful creature. Well you are both right and wrong. They have actually been known to attack humans, mostly out of irritation rather than a predatory behavior. Several studies have shown that when their offspring is threatened they often react violently.
Sadly, there is only a small number of Pandas left in the wild, it’s estimated to be less than 1,000. There are 110 Pandas in captivity, with the majority of then being in China. There are only 7 of them in the United States-Zoo Atlanta and The National Zoo each have a pair. There is a pair in San Diego that also has a cub. Three females are at the Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City. There are also Pandas in Japan, Spain, Germany, France and South Korea. The huge decrease in numbers mainly has to do humans, they are cutting down Bamboo in order to make farms and of course their poor reproductive capabilities also play a big factor in them becoming dangerously close to extinction
I leave you with a few interesting facts about Panda Bears.
* Pandas do not hibernate
* You can’t determine the sex of a Panda until they are four years old
* Pandas are pink when they are born
* Pandas have been known to eat pika, fish, other plants, and small rodents
* Pandas only have one baby every two years if successful
We have a variety of Panda Bears available at PlushToySafari.com, including the cutest Panda Bear costume for children ages 3-9. Come enjoy a look around PlushToySafari.com!
Contributed by Ashley Ford
References:
http://www.indianchild.com/panda.htm
Giant Panda
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