TAM: Giant Panda Info

ABOUT

The panda, with its distinctive black and white coat, is adored by the world and considered a national treasure in China. This bear also has a special significance for WWF because it has been our logo since our founding in 1961. Pandas live mainly in temperate forests high in the mountains of southwest China, where they subsist almost entirely on bamboo. They must eat around 26 to 84 pounds of it every day, depending on what part of the bamboo they are eating. They use their enlarged wrist bones that function as opposable thumbs.A newborn panda is about the size of a stick of butter—about 1/900th the size of its mother—but females can grow up to about 200 pounds, while males can grow up to about 300 pounds as adults. These bears are excellent tree climbers despite their bulk.

FACTS

Despite their exalted status and relative lack of natural predators, pandas are still at risk. Severe threats from humans have left just over 1,800 pandas in the wild.

0.1CUBS ARE WELL PROTECTED IN THEIR FIRST MONTH
Mother pandas keep contact with their cub nearly 100% of the time during their first month - with the cub resting on her front and remaining covered by her paw, arm or head. 
0.2THEY SPEND A LOT OF THEIR DAY EATING
Giant pandas spend 10-16 hours a day feeding, mainly on bamboo. Bamboo is critical to their diet. Pandas need at least 2 different bamboo species in their range to avoid starvation.  For the 1% of their diet that isn't bamboo, 
             pandas eat eggs, small animals, carrion, and forage in farmland for pumpkin, kidney beans, wheat and domestic pig food. 
0.3THEY HAVE GREAT CAMOUFLAGE FOR THEIR ENVIRONMENT 
 The giant panda's distinct black-and-white markings have two functions: camouflage and communication.  Most of the panda - its face, neck, belly, rump - is white to help it hide in snowy habitats. The arms and legs are black, 
             helping it to hide in shade. 
0.4COURAGEOUS CUBS! 
At 5 months old, giant pandas learn how to climb - sometimes practicing by climbing on their mum. 

DONATE

Visit WWF's website to donate. When you donate to WWF, you will be donating to panda conservation projects on the ground in China.
Your donation will contribute towards a variety of initiatives, including:

$10

Nature reserve protection

To ensure that the reserve borders are patrolled and no illegal hunting or logging takes place inside them.

$25

Community development

Projects such as providing wood saving stoves to limit the impact of wood-fuel harvesting on the panda's forests.

$ 50

Research and monitoring work

Such as setting up infrared cameras to record panda movements in the Minshan and Qinling Mountains.