Giant Panda

Giant pandas have a distinctive black and white coat, with black fur around their eyes and on their ears, muzzle, legs and shoulders. Their thick, wooly coat helps to keep them warm in their cool mountain homes. ... An adult panda can weigh up to 150kg, with males 10% larger and 20% heavier than females.

Fun Pandas Facts You Didn't Know

1. A panda year is equivalent to about three human years

A panda year is equivalent to about three human years in terms of life expectancy. Giant pandas live 18–20 years in the wild and 25 to 30 years in captivity. The world's oldest giant panda was Xinxing (‘New Star') in Chongqing Zoo at 38 years old and four months (1982–2020). That's the equivalent of 115 human years.

2. Pandas have 6 "fingers"!

A panda's 6th "finger" is like a human thumb. It has the same function as a thumb, but it is actually an unusual wrist bone or opposable paw heel with strong muscles but no movable joints, which allows it to grasp food.

3. Pandas will abandon a child if she has twins.

Wild pandas usually have just one cub, while pandas in captivity are more likely to have twins. In the wild, If the mother panda has two cubs, she will only feed the one she thinks is stronger. The other one is left to fend for itself.

The reason for this is that a newborn cub is very weak. Cubs start eating bamboo at around 12 months of age, but until then they are completely dependent on their mother. So, in the wild, female pandas don't have sufficient milk or energy to care for two cubs.

A cub stays with its mother until she is pregnant again, when the cub is about a year and a half old. If the mother does not become pregnant, the cub will stay with its mother until it is two and a half years old.