No, this article is not about the Bored Pandas, though thank you for your interest. We can’t believe ourselves that it took us so long to write an article about the fluff balls of cuteness that gave us our name. But as they say, better late than never, so we went ahead and collected a bunch of interesting panda facts.
There has been a lot of argument around whether a giant panda is a bear or belongs to another family of animals altogether. Scientists confirm that a panda is, in fact, a bear, that’s why it is also often called a panda bear.
If there was an official ranking for the most adorable animal on the internet, the black and white teddy bears would definitely make it into the top five. Because let’s be honest, have you ever managed to scroll past cute panda pictures without going “Aww!” Yeah, thought so. Watching pandas in real life is even more fun. They might have the reputation of slow and clumsy animals, but in the right conditions, they do know how to entertain themselves. Their younglings, also known as panda cubs, are full of mischief at any time of the day when they are not munching on bamboo or taking a nap.
So if you love pandas as much as we do, head over to the facts below to learn all about pandas and their cute ways. Do you know any other facts you want to share with us? Tell us in the comments!
#21 Female Pandas Give Birth To One Or Two Cubs Every Two Years
Giant panda cubs can spend up to three years with their moms before venturing out on their own.
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15points
#22 Pandas Will Abandon A Child If They Have Twins
While pandas in captivity are more likely to produce twins, wild pandas often only have one child. If a mother panda has two babies in the wild, she will only feed the one she perceives as being stronger. The other is left on its own to manage.
A newborn cub is incredibly frail, which is why this is the case. At roughly 12 months of age, cubs begin eating bamboo, but up until that point, they are entirely reliant on their mother. Therefore, in the wild, mother pandas lack the milk and energy needed to care for two babies.
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15points
#23 Spring Is The Mating Season For Pandas
Only two to three days each time, in March to May on average each year, the female giant pandas go into heat. An average pregnancy lasts five months.
While male giant pandas would leave scent markers as a sign to attract female giant pandas, female giant pandas will make distinctive noises like baa, dog bark, or cow bark during their reproductive time in the wild.
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14points
#24 Giant Pandas And Red Pandas Are Not Closely Related
Despite a similar name, giant pandas belong to the bear family Ursidae, whereas red pandas are the sole extant members of their taxonomic family, Ailuridae.
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13points
#25 Giant Pandas Can Experience Pseudopregnancy
Instead of giving birth at the conclusion of a pseudopregnancy, which imitates a true pregnancy, the hormones and behaviors of a giant panda revert to normal. There are estimates that Mei Xiang of Smithsonian's National Zoo had at least six false pregnancies.
12points
#26 Most Giant Panda Cubs In The World Leave For China Before They Turn 4
The majority of giant pandas in the world are on loan from China, and cubs born outside of China must be transferred to the Chinese breeding program in order to increase the gene pool.
12points
#28 Smithsonian's National Zoo's First Giant Pandas Were Ling-Ling And Hsing-Hsing
After First Lady Patricia Nixon expressed her admiration for them at a banquet in Beijing, China, in 1972, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai sent them as a gift to the American people.
10points
#29 Giant Panda's Bite Is Incredibly Strong
Its bite was in third place among the examined live species with a BFQ (Bite Force Quotient) of 151. Giant Panda is one of the few carnivores that primarily feed on vegetation, specifically bamboo, a fibrously stiff plant that requires vigorous chewing. The panda's biting force has little to do with the size of its meal.
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10points
#30 Much Of What Pandas Eat Is Passed As Waste
The digestive tract of a giant panda is more like that of a carnivore than a herbivore, and a lot of the food it consumes is passed on as waste.
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9points
#31 Mei Xiang, Tian Tian And Their Cub Will Stay At Smithsonian's National Zoo Until 2023
The Zoo's adult panda pair, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, arrived in 2000. A contract with the China Wildlife Conservation Association stipulates that the couple and their youngster would remain at the zoo until 2023.
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8points
