Giant Pandas, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, are recognised as the international
symbol of endangered species. Due to their rounded face, unusual markings and
childlike mannerisms, the Giant Panda has become one of the best loved species
of bear.
Distribution, Population and Range: Giant pandas live in the mountain ranges in
the provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu in Western China. It is estimated
that less than 1,000 individuals remain in the wild today.
Individual Giant Pandas have fairly small home ranges and when bamboo is
plentiful, which it is for most of the year, do not need to travel very far.
Both males and females possess the same home range, often little more than 10
square miles. However, when food is in short supply or a mate is sought, the
Giant Panda will journey far outside of its home range.
Giant Pandas tend to migrate vertically up and down the mountains in search of
bamboo and normally exist at altitudes between 1,200 to 3,400 metres.
Physical Characteristics: The Giant Panda is renowned for its cute round face,
shortened snout, small dark round ears and eyes ringed with black. It habitually
sits upright, bamboo clutched in its hands.
In general, adult Giant Pandas are 160 to 180 centimetres tall, and the weight
of an adult male Giant Panda is normally between 80 and 125 kilograms,
approximately 10% to 20% heavier than the female.
As a result of feeding on bamboo the Giant Panda has made some astounding
morphological adaptations that make them unique amongst bears. Their molars are
huge and the jaws strong enough to break the woody stems and leaves of bamboo.
Their forepaws are equipped with an additional sixth digit that acts as a thumb
for holding bamboo.
Their distinctive black and white markings provide excellent camouflage when
amongst the bamboo and snow covered rocky outcrops.
Diet: Technically, like all other bears, the Giant Panda is a carnivore. It has
however become so adapted to its environment that it now exclusively dines on
vegetation and one particular form of vegetation at that: bamboo. To get enough
energy from this plant the Giant Panda is required to eat for up to 16 hours a
day and will consume between 10-18 kilograms of bamboo.
Hibernation: Giant Pandas do not hibernate. Their natural food source is not
sufficiently high in calories and protein to allow them to put on the sufficient
fat resources required for lengthy period of hibernation. In addition they live
in a habitat where food is continually available.
Family Life: The stereotypical picture of the Giant Panda’s life is one of
solitude, the sexes remaining apart except during the mating season. However,
recent research conducted by the Beijing University has successfully tracked
Giant Pandas using radio-collars and discovered that up to 15 Giant Pandas may
form a social community and occupy a particular home range. Members of different
social groups tend to avoid socialising with one another. As the bamboo canopy
is dense subtle facial gestures are hard to detect and so Giant Pandas have
developed a very strong communication pattern based on vocalisation and scent.
Female Giant Pandas are sexually mature at 5 to 6 years of age and are only able
to conceive during a two to three day estous period during Spring. Males,
however, are more sexually active and able to inseminate several females. The
Giant Panda, like most species of bears, demonstrates delayed implantation, and
it is therefore difficult to determine the exact length of the gestation period,
although it is somewhere between 3 and 5 months. Delayed implantation gives the
Giant Panda more control over the date when the cubs will be born, which is
determined by the necessity to have them weaned during the spring when the
newest bamboo shoots are available.
As a result of their low energy diet Giant Pandas are not able to provide their
cubs with much in the way of nutrition, resulting in cubs that are the smallest
born of all non-marsupial mammals, weighing just 130 grams at birth. It will
take at least a year for the young cub to reach 30 kilograms. Cubs are weaned
around nine months of age but have been known to stay with their mothers for 18
months. Generally, a female Giant Panda, whilst reaching the age of 25, has
become post-productive by 20 and may, at most, only give birth to seven young
throughout her lifetime. This low reproductive rate does not help the Giant
Panda to recover from its decline in population.
Conservation Status: Extremely endangered, it is estimated that less than 1,000
Giant Pandas remain in very fragmented and isolated habitat islands. The Giant
Panda is listed as an Appendix I species in CITES to afford maximum protection.
Over the past twenty years Giant Panda conservation has received considerable
international support and many captive breeding programs have been initiated
worldwide. Despite these efforts, the population continues to decline.
Threats: The main threat to the Giant Panda in the wild is habitat loss and
poaching of illegal wildlife.
Giant Pandas do not breed well in captivity. There are currently 110-120 Giant
Pandas in captivity, the majority of which are in China, although two North
American zoos, San Diego and the National Zoo in Washington have breeding pairs.
References: “Gaint Pandas: Bamboo Bears” by Devra. G. Kleiman, (ZooGoer, Vol. 21
(2), Friends of the National Zoo, 1992); “Giant Panda Conservation Today” by Devra. G. Kleiman, (ZooGoer, Vol. 28(2), Friends of the National Zoo, 1999);
information provided by Don Middleton on his web-site:
www.naturenet.com/bears and the Bear Den at
www.bearden.org.
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