Panda Bear Information

Although the Giant Panda has been known since ancient times in China, there is not much scientific Panda Bear information in the Chinese culture. Panda fossils found in the territory of modern Burma, Vietnam, and China are dated back to the late Pliocene, about three million years ago. For centuries, the origin and classification of these unique animals was not known for sure. The Chinese call these animals Daxiongmao, which means "large bear cat." The scientific name of the species - Ailuropoda melanoleuca - means "black and white cat-footed animal."

Reliable sources of Panda Bear information make it evident that these animals have always been rare, because they are an easy prey for predators and hunters. Besides, these animals have a low reproductive rate. China emperors kept Pandas in their gardens as semi-divine and decorative animals. Pandas were believed to ward off disasters and evil spirits. For many centuries, the Giant Panda has been a symbol of peace.

People outside China had no Panda Bear information and even had not seen these animals till the late 19th century when China opened its doors to trade and intercultural communication. For more than a century, European scientists have debated over the classification of the species. The Giant and the Red panda share several characteristics with both raccoons and bears. There were three theories that stated that Pandas belonged to the raccoon family, bear family, or formed a separate family. DNA analysis could prove that the Giant Panda belongs to the bear family, while the Red Panda is more closely related to raccoons.

Giant Pandas have always been restricted to the mountainous regions of central China covered with dense bamboo and coniferous forests. These animals prefer elevations up to 3,400 meters high. These regions are very humid and cold, but Giant Pandas have several adaptations to their habitats. Nowadays, the wild population of Pandas is fragmented. Pandas live in isolated parts of forests in the mountains of the Sichuan Province, Gansu Province, and the Shaanxi Province. According to the Panda Bear information, this species relies on bamboo more than on other plants.