Where does the giant panda live?
The giant panda exists only in China. It lives in small, isolated populations in six mountain regions of the country, mainly in Sichuan, but also in Shaanxi and Gansu. It inhabits high-altitude forests rich in bamboo, often old-growth forests. It is solitary and only gathers in the mating season. It communicates mostly by smell, leaving scent marks on rocks and trees.
What does the giant panda eat?
Although it belongs to the order of carnivorans, the giant panda eats almost only plants: about 99% of its diet is bamboo. Because its body digests it poorly, it has to eat large quantities. It has large molars to crush it and a kind of "false thumb" on its forepaw, which it uses to hold bamboo stems. Females raise their cubs for 18 to 24 months on average.
Is the giant panda endangered?
Yes: the IUCN lists it as Vulnerable. Because of farming, deforestation and infrastructure, it has been driven out of the lowlands where it once lived. Habitat protection has let its numbers rise, but habitat loss caused by human activity remains its biggest threat.
All 71 threatened animals ›
