Panda Bear

This peaceful creature with a distinctive black and white coat is adored by the world and considered a national treasure in China. The panda also has a special significance for WWF because it has been WWF's logo since our founding in 1961.

Pandas live mainly in bamboo forests high in the mountains of western China, where they subsist almost entirely on bamboo. They must eat from 26 to 84 pounds of it every day, a formidable task for which they use their enlarged wrist bones that function as opposable thumbs.

A newborn panda is about the size of a stick of butter—about 1/900th the size of its mother—but can grow to up to 330 pounds as an adult. These bears are excellent tree climbers despite their bulk. 

Top 10 Fun Facts!

1. Giant pandas (often referred to as simply “pandas”) are black and white bears. In the wild, they are found in thick bamboo forests, high up in the mountains of central China – you can check out our cool facts about China, here!

2. These magnificent mammals are omnivores. But whilst they will occasionally eat small animals and fish, bamboo counts for 99 percent of their diet.

3. These guys are BIG eaters – every day they fill their tummies for up to 12 hours, shifting up to 12 kilograms of bamboo!

4. The giant panda’s scientific name is Ailuropoda melanoleuca, which means “black and white cat-foot”.

5. Giant pandas grow to between 1.2m and 1.5m, and weigh between 75kgand 135kg. Scientists aren’t sure how long pandas live in the wild, but in captivity they live to be around 30 years old.

6. Baby pandas are born pink and measure about 15cm – that’s about the size of a pencil! They are also born blind and only open their eyes six to eight weeks after birth.

7. It’s thought that these magnificent mammals are solitary animals, with males and females only coming together briefly to mate. Recent research, however, suggests that giant pandas occasionally meet outside of breeding season, and communicate with each other through scent marks and calls.

8. Family time! Female pandas give birth to one or two cubs every two years. Cubs stay with their mothers for 18 months before venturing off on their own!

9. Unlike most other bears, pandas do not hibernate. When winter approaches, they head lower down their mountain homes to warmer temperatures, where they continue to chomp away on bamboo!

10. Sadly, these beautiful bears are endangered, and it’s estimated that only around 1,000 remain in the wild. That’s why we need to do all we can to protect them!