By Jocelyn Yong
Panda bear, also known as Ailuropoda Melanoleuca, are beloved mammals around the world for their striking black and white coats and charming behaviour. The scientific name for pandas simply means ‘black and white cat footed animal’. The black patches around their eyes, ears, and legs make them look unique.
The temperate bamboo forests high in the mountains of southwest China were the pandas’ sweet home. The surrounding temperature of the forest will get pretty cold in the winter. Thus, the pandas’ thick, wooly coats help to keep them warm in their cool mountain homes. Pandas also enjoy frolicking around in the snow.
On top of that, pandas are typically known as herbivores animals. Their daily diet consists of the leaves, stems and shoots of various bamboo species. They feed on 12 to 38 kilograms of bamboo plants each day to meet their energy needs as bamboo plants contain very low calorific value. Only about one percent of their meals come from other plants.
Statistically, a panda’s average lifespan is 14 to 20 years. However, they can even live up to 35 years in captivity. Pandas’ lifespan is longer under domestic care compared to living in the wilds. This is because they are protected from the various environmental threats that they would face in their natural habitats.
On the other hand, pandas’ reproduction is another interesting fact. The pandas are mammals that reproduce sexually. The female pandas will give birth to their young between 95 to 160 days after mating. The reproductive rate of pandas is about one cub every two years. Although pandas give birth to twins, usually only one cub can survive as adult pandas only give attention to the strongest cub if they give birth to more than one. This is due to the fact that female pandas do not have sufficient milk or energy to nurse more than one newborn.
In fact, the average weight of male pandas is 85 to 125 kilograms and it is as tall as a human’s child, which is 3 feet high. The female pandas weigh from 70 to 100 kilograms. The average height of a female panda is 0.5 feet shorter than the male pandas. A panda cub only weighs between 90 to 130 grams, so much lighter than a human’s newborn,
which weights around 3 to 4 kilograms.
Panda bears are indeed adorable and interesting animals. Sadly, the number of pandas is decreasing and they are now in grave danger of extinction. This is due to deforestation that has disrupted their habitat and food supply. Illegal hunting for their precious skin has further contributed to the decline of the panda population. Hence, steps should be taken to protect and save the pandas from extinction.
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