I felt very lucky when I saw some pandas in Edinburgh zoo (Scotland) in 2018. I managed to see the famous Tian Tian and felt very blessed that day. Penny from A Penny For Them has also seen and loves pandas too!

I thought I would put some blogs up about my favourite animal so that other panda lovers can also appreciate them!

Pandas are a type of bear who have primarily been found in the forests of China. The giant panda’s scientific name is Ailuropoda melanoleuca. That’s virtually impossible for me to pronounce so I’ll stick to saying ‘panda’!

Their black and white appearance makes them stand out when compared to other bears. The nose, ears, eyes, legs, and shoulders are blanketed with black fur, while the rest of the body is wrapped up with white fur. Because of this beautiful colour combination, it can be difficult to identify them in the forest, which acts as a great natural camouflage.

Male pandas weigh approximately 220 pounds. The female panda can weigh as much as 180 pounds and is called a sow. They are usually five to six feet tall and their lifespan is 15-20 years on average.

Pandas are masters at climbing trees and they can swim quickly to move away from predators. They use their wrists to help grip their food. They have strong jaws and massive molars that help them consume their favourite food: bamboo. They can eat around 25 to 50 pounds of bamboo per day. If they can’t get their staple: bamboo; they can consume honey, grass, flowers, vines, young corns, and rodents. Pandas can sometimes eat small birds and animals.

Pandas are shy; they don’t venture into areas where people live. This restricts pandas to limited areas.

Wild pandas live in remote, mountainous areas in China. Wild pandas should not be confused with captive pandas as they can behave very differently. Wild pandas have a dangerously powerful bite and have an intense sex drive.

The captive panda on the other hand is the fluffy, adorable, clownish, reproductively-inept stereotype that springs to mind.

Though they’re cuddly and lovely to look at, they can be a dangerous creature when provoked. Pandas like all bears love its solitary existence except while breeding or being nurturing mothers.