The Great Panda - China's Most Famous Animal Illustration

Great Panda
Ancient China for Kids

Here are some panda facts you might not know.

1. There is no difference in size between a Giant Panda and other adult pandas. It's just a name.

2. Full grown pandas are black and white. New born baby pandas are BRIGHT PINK!

3. A baby panda is about the size of a stick of butter. They are tiny and fragile. The mama panda stays very close to her cub(s) for at least the first month of life, sometimes longer. The mama does keep an eye on her cub until that cub nearly full grown.

4. Pandas do not hibernate. They cannot store enough food to hibernate. They eat continuously for about 12 hours every day.

5. Pandas mostly eat bamboo and fruit, but they have sharp teeth and could eat meat if they wanted to.

5. Pandas have been around for a very long time. Scientists have dated panda fossils that are two million years old!

6. A few years ago, pandas were removed from the endangered animals list. Things are looking up for these gentle giants, but they are not totally restored to strong numbers yet, although the Chinese government is working on it.

7. DO NOT ENTER A PANDA HABITAT. If you visit China, do not go off the advised trails and accidently or on purpose enter a panda habitat, an area in which pandas are known to be living. If they feel threatened, they will attack. If they have their babies with them, they will attack. They look adorable and the cubs especially are such fun to watch. It is true that adult pandas are gentle giants, but what they perceive as a threat and what you perceive as a threat is probably very different. So don't go wandering without a professional tour guide if you hope to see pandas in the wild and live to tell about it.

Latest Panda News, including pre-school for baby pandas - lots of pictures!

How to draw a panda (youtube)

Giant Pandas - Facts, Pictures, Very short video of Playful Panda Chums

Visit with volunteers who are working with pandas in China