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{{short description|Species of mammal}} {{pp-protected|small=yes}} {{redirect-multi|2|Panda|Panda bear|other uses|Panda (disambiguation)|and|Giant panda (disambiguation)|and|Panda Bear (musician)|and|PANDAS|and|pandas (software)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Speciesbox | name = Giant panda | image = Grosser Panda.JPG | image_caption = Giant panda at the [[Ocean Park Hong Kong]] | status = VU | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = {{cite iucn |author = Swaisgood, R. |author2=Wang, D. |author3=Wei, F. | title = ''Ailuropoda melanoleuca'' | volume= 2016 | page = e.T712A45033386 | year = 2016 }} | status2 = E | status2_system = ESA | status2_ref = {{Cite web | url=https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?sId=6600 | title=Species Profile}} | genus = Ailuropoda | species = melanoleuca | authority = [[Armand David|David]], 1869{{cite journal|last1=David|first1=Armand |authorlink=Armand David |title=Voyage en Chine|journal=Bulletin des Nouvelles Archives du Muséum|date=1869|volume=5|page=13|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13953952|quote=Ursus melanoleucus}} | subdivision_ranks = Subspecies | subdivision = †''A. m. hastorni'' ''[[#Subspecies|A. m. melanoleuca]]'' *''[[Qinling panda|A. m. qinlingensis]]'' | range_map = Mapa distribuicao Ailuropoda melanoleuca.png | range_map_caption = Giant panda range }} {{Infobox Chinese |pic=Panda (Chinese characters).svg |piccap="Panda" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese charactersLike the English "giant", the term ''dà'' ("large") is technically prefixed to the name "panda" in Chinese, but is not generally in everyday use. |picupright=0.45 |s=熊猫 |t=熊貓 |l="bear cat" |p=xióngmāo |w=hsiung²-mao¹ |mi={{IPAc-cmn|x|iong|2|.|m|ao|1}} |suz=yón-mau |j=hung4-maau1 |ci={{IPAc-yue|h|ung|4|.|m|aau|1}} |y=hùhng-māau |s2=猫熊 |t2=貓熊 |l2="cat bear" |poj2=niau-hîm |h2=meu-yùng }}

The '''giant panda''' (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''; {{zh|s=大熊猫|p=dàxióngmāo}}),{{cite book|last=Scheff|first=Duncan|title=Giant Pandas|edition=illustrated|series=Animals of the rain forest|year=2002|publisher=Heinemann-Raintree Library|isbn=0-7398-5529-8|page=7}} also known as the '''panda bear''' or simply the '''panda''', is a [[bear]]{{cite book |author1=Lindburg, Donald G. |author2=Baragona, Karen |title=Giant Pandas: Biology and Conservation |publisher=University of California Press|year=2004|isbn=0-520-23867-2}} native to south central [[China]]. It is characterised by large, black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes used to distinguish it from the [[red panda]], a neighboring [[Musteloidea|musteloid]]. Though it belongs to the order [[Carnivora]], the giant panda is a [[folivore]], with [[bamboo]] shoots and leaves making up more than 99% of its diet.Quote: "Bamboo forms 99 percent of a panda's diet", "more than 99 percent of their diet is bamboo": p. 63 of {{harvnb|Lumpkin|Seidensticker|2007}} (as seen in the 2002 edition). Giant pandas in the wild will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents, or carrion. In captivity, they may receive honey, eggs, fish, yams, [[shrub|shrub leaves]], oranges, or bananas along with specially prepared food.{{cite web|url=http://animal.discovery.com/mammals/giant-panda/ |title=Giant Panda |publisher=Discovery Communications, LLC |accessdate=8 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107032418/http://animal.discovery.com/mammals/giant-panda/ |archivedate=7 January 2010 }}{{cite web|url=http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/PandaFacts/default.cfm|title=Giant Pandas|publisher=National Zoological Park|accessdate=7 November 2010}}

The giant panda lives in a few mountain ranges in central China, mainly in [[Sichuan]], but also in neighbouring [[Shaanxi]] and [[Gansu]].{{cite book|last=Scheff|first=Duncan|title=Giant Pandas|edition=illustrated|series=Animals of the rain forest|year=2002|publisher=Heinemann-Raintree Library|isbn=0-7398-5529-8|page=8}} As a result of farming, [[deforestation]], and other development, the giant panda has been driven out of the lowland areas where it once lived, and it is a [[conservation-reliant species|conservation-reliant]] [[vulnerable species]].{{cite web|url=http://panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/our_solutions/endangered_species/giant_panda/index.cfm |title=Global Species Programme – Giant panda |publisher=World Wildlife Fund |date=14 November 2007 |accessdate=22 July 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704204350/http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/our_solutions/endangered_species/giant_panda/index.cfm |archivedate=4 July 2008 }} A 2007 report showed 239 pandas living in captivity inside China and another 27 outside the country.{{cite news | url = http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/08/content_7034856.htm | title = Number of pandas successfully bred in China down from last year | work=[[Xinhua News Agency|Xinhua]] | date = 8 November 2007 | accessdate =22 July 2008}} As of December 2014, 49 giant pandas lived in captivity outside China, living in 18 zoos in 13 different countries.{{cite web|url=http://www.giantpandazoo.com/panda/panda-zoos/|title=Panda Zoos Around The World|work=GiantPandaZoo.com|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102213245/http://www.giantpandazoo.com/panda/panda-zoos/|archivedate=2 January 2016}} Wild population estimates vary; one estimate shows that there are about 1,590 individuals living in the wild, while a 2006 study via [[genetic fingerprinting|DNA analysis]] estimated that this figure could be as high as 2,000 to 3,000.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5085006.stm |title=Hope for future of giant panda|work=BBC News |date=20 June 2006|accessdate=14 February 2007 | first=Helen | last=Briggs}} Some reports also show that the number of giant pandas in the wild is on the rise.{{cite magazine |first=Lynne |last=Warren |title=Pandas, Inc. |url=http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0607/feature1/?fs=animals-panther.nationalgeographic.com |magazine=[[National Geographic Magazine|National Geographic]] |date = July 2006|accessdate=10 April 2008 }} In March 2015, conservation news site [[Mongabay]] stated that the wild giant panda population had increased by 268, or 16.8%, to 1,864.{{cite web|url=http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0302-hance-giant-panda-population.html|title=Giant panda population rises by nearly 17 percent|work=Mongabay Environmental News|date=2 March 2015}} In 2016, the [[IUCN]] reclassified the species from "endangered" to "vulnerable",{{cite web|url=http://iucnworldconservationcongress.org/news/20160904/article/four-out-six-great-apes-one-step-away-extinction-iucn-red-list|title=Four out of six great apes one step away from extinction – IUCN Red List|date=4 September 2016|access-date=4 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160908130936/http://www.iucnworldconservationcongress.org/news/20160904/article/four-out-six-great-apes-one-step-away-extinction-iucn-red-list|archive-date=8 September 2016|url-status=dead}} affirming decade-long efforts to save the panda.

While the [[Chinese dragon|dragon]] has often served as China's [[national symbol]], internationally the giant panda has often filled this role. As such, it is becoming widely used within China in international contexts, for example, appearing since 1982 on [[Chinese Gold Panda|gold panda bullion]] coins and as one of the five [[Fuwa]] mascots of the [[2008 Summer Olympics|Beijing Olympics]].

==Taxonomy== ===Classification=== For many decades, the precise [[Taxonomy (biology)|taxonomic]] classification of the giant panda was under debate because it shares characteristics with both bears and [[raccoon]]s. However, [[genetics#molecular|molecular studies]] indicate the giant panda is a true [[bear]], part of the family Ursidae.{{cite journal |author1=O'Brien, S.J. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Nash, W.G. |author3=Wildt, D.E. |author4=Bush, M.E. |author5=Benveniste, R.E. |year=1985 |title=A molecular solution to the riddle of the giant panda's phylogeny |journal=Nature |volume=317 |issue=6033 |pages=140–144 |doi=10.1038/317140a0|pmid=4033795 |bibcode=1985Natur.317..140O |s2cid=4352629 }} These studies show it diverged about {{mya|19}} from the [[common ancestor]] of the [[Ursidae]];{{Cite journal |last=Krause |first=J. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Unger, T. |author3=Noçon, A. |author4=Malaspinas, A. |author5=Kolokotronis, S. |author6=Stiller, M. |author7=Soibelzon, L. |author8=Spriggs, H. |author9=Dear, P. H. |author10=Briggs, A. W. |author11=Bray, S. C. E. |author12=O'Brien, S. J. |author13=Rabeder, G. |author14=Matheus, P. |author15=Cooper, A. |author16=Slatkin, M. |author17=Pääbo, S. |author18=Hofreiter, M. |title=Mitochondrial genomes reveal an explosive radiation of extinct and extant bears near the Miocene-Pliocene boundary |journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology |volume=8 |issue=220 |page=220 |year=2008 |pmid=18662376 |pmc=2518930 |doi=10.1186/1471-2148-8-220}} it is the most [[basal (phylogenetics)|basal]] member of this family and equidistant from all other extant bear species.{{cite journal |last1=Yu |first1=L. |last2=Li |first2=Y.i-W. |last3=Ryder |first3=O. A. |last4=Zhang |first4=Y.-P. |title=Analysis of complete mitochondrial genome sequences increases phylogenetic resolution of bears (Ursidae), a mammalian family that experienced rapid speciation| journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology |date=2007 |volume=7 |issue=198 |pages=198 |doi=10.1186/1471-2148-7-198 |pmid=17956639 |pmc=2151078}} The giant panda has been referred to as a [[living fossil]].{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/btn/stories/s1947589.htm |title=Behind the News – Panda Granny |date=2007 |accessdate=22 July 2008 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504213933/http://www.abc.net.au/tv/btn/stories/s1947589.htm |archivedate=4 May 2008 |url-status=dead}}

===Etymology=== The word ''panda'' was borrowed into English from French, but no conclusive explanation of the origin of the French word ''panda'' has been found.''Oxford English Dictionary'', s.v. ''panda'' n. 1. The closest candidate is the [[Nepali language|Nepali]] word ''ponya,'' possibly referring to the adapted wrist bone of the red panda, which is native to Nepal. The Western world originally applied this name to the red panda. [[File:Baby Pandas.JPG|thumb|Panda cubs]] In many older sources, the name "panda" or "common panda" refers to the lesser-known [[red panda]],{{cite web|url= http://www.animalinfo.org/species/carnivor/ailufulg.htm|title=Animal Info – Red Panda}} thus necessitating the inclusion of "giant" and "lesser/red" prefixes in front of the names. Even in 2013, the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' still used "giant panda" or "panda bear" for the bear,{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/441032/giant-panda |title=giant panda (mammal) -- Encyclopedia Britannica |encyclopedia=Britannica.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515123427/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/441032/giant-panda |archive-date=2013-05-15 |accessdate=2017-01-23}} and simply "panda" for the [[red panda]],{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/441037/panda |title=panda (mammal, Ailurus species) -- Encyclopedia Britannica |encyclopedia=Britannica.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515120439/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/441037/panda |archive-date=2013-05-15 |accessdate=2017-01-23}} despite the popular usage of the word "panda" to refer to giant pandas.

Since the earliest collection of Chinese writings, the Chinese language has given the bear 20 different names, such as ''huāxióng'' ({{lang|zh|花熊}} "spotted bear") and ''zhúxióng'' ({{lang|zh|竹熊}} "bamboo bear").{{cite web|url=http://huayuqiao.org/articles/yaodehuai/yaodh08.htm|title= Discussion about the Chinese name for giant panda (in Chinese)}} The most popular names in China today are ''dàxióngmāo'' ({{lang|zh|大熊貓}} literally "giant bear cat"), or simply ''xióngmāo'' ({{lang|zh|熊貓}} "bear cat"). The name ''xióngmāo'' ({{lang|zh|熊貓}} "bear cat") was originally used to describe the [[red panda]] (''Ailurus fulgens''), but since the giant panda was thought to be closely related to the red panda, ''dàxióngmāo'' ({{lang|zh|大熊貓}}) was named relatively.

===Subspecies=== [[File:Quinlingpandabearr.jpg|thumb|The [[Qinling panda]] has a light brown and white pattern]] Two subspecies of giant panda have been recognized on the basis of distinct cranial measurements, colour patterns, and [[population genetics]].{{sfn|Wan|Wu|Fang|2005}}

The [[nominate subspecies]], ''A. m. melanoleuca'', consists of most extant populations of the giant panda. These animals are principally found in [[Sichuan]] and display the typical stark black and white contrasting colours.
The [[Qinling panda]], ''A. m. qinlingensis'',{{cite book|last=Hammond|first=Paula|title=The Atlas of Endangered Animals: Wildlife Under Threat Around the World|year=2010|publisher=Marshall Cavendish|isbn=978-0-7614-7872-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/atlasofendangere0000hamm/page/58 58]|url=https://archive.org/details/atlasofendangere0000hamm/page/58}} is restricted to the [[Qinling Mountains]] in Shaanxi at elevations of 1,300–3,000 m. The typical black and white pattern of Sichuan giant pandas is replaced with a light brown and white pattern.{{sfn|Wan|Wu|Fang|2005}} The skull of ''A. m. qinlingensis'' is smaller than its relatives, and it has larger molars.

A detailed study of the giant panda's genetic history from 2012{{cite journal |author1=Shancen Zhao|author2=Pingping Zheng|author3=Shanshan Dong|author4=Xiangjiang Zhan|author5=Qi Wu |title=Whole-genome sequencing of giant pandas provides insights into demographic history and local adaptation |journal=Nature Genetics |doi=10.1038/ng.2494 |date = 16 December 2012 |volume=45 |pages=67–71 |pmid=23242367 |issue=1 |s2cid=1261505|ref=harv}} confirms that the separation of the Qinlin population occurred about 300,000 years ago, and reveals that the non-Qinlin population further diverged into two groups, named the [[Minshan]] and the [[Qionglai Mountains|Qionglai]]-[[Daxiangling]]-[[Xiaoxiangling]]-[[Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture|Liangshan]] group respectively, about 2,800 years ago.{{cite web |url = https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121216132511.htm |title = Scientists Discover Evidence of Giant Panda's Population History and Local Adaptation |date = 16 December 2012 |accessdate= 17 December 2012}}

==Description== [[File:Giant Panda Skull.JPG|thumb|The skull of a giant panda at the [[Smithsonian Museum of Natural History]]]] [[File:Giant panda-Tonton-1.jpg|thumb|right|The skeleton (left) and taxidermy model (right) of "Tong Tong", once bred in [[Ueno Zoo]] at the [[National Museum of Nature and Science]], [[Tokyo]]]] The giant panda has luxuriant black-and-white fur. Adults measure around {{convert|1.2|to|1.9|m|ftin|abbr=off}} long, including a tail of about {{convert|10|-|15|cm|in|0|abbr=on}}, and {{convert|60|to|90|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} tall at the [[shoulder]].{{citation |url=http://www.arkive.org/giant-panda/ailuropoda-melanoleuca/#text=Facts |title=Giant Panda |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223123307/http://www.arkive.org/giant-panda/ailuropoda-melanoleuca/#text=Facts#text=Facts |archive-date=23 December 2014 |publisher=Arkive}}{{cite web |url=http://www.giantpandaonline.org/naturalhistory/description.htm |title=Physical Description |publisher=Giant Panda Species Survival Plan |accessdate=26 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111204035805/http://www.giantpandaonline.org/naturalhistory/description.htm |archivedate=4 December 2011}} Males can weigh up to {{convert|160|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.{{cite book |last=Boitani |first=Luigi |title=Simon & Schuster's Guide to Mammals |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] / [[Touchstone Books]] |year=1984 |isbn=978-0-671-42805-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GcOaQgAACAAJ}} Females (generally 10–20% smaller than males){{cite book |author=Brown, Gary |title=Great Bear Almanac |year=1996 |page=340 |publisher=[[The Lyons Press]] |isbn=1-55821-474-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/greatbearalmanac00gary |url-access=registration }} can weigh as little as {{convert|70|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, but can also weigh up to {{convert|125|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-110-01-0001.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2016-02-05 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924121859/http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-110-01-0001.pdf |archivedate=24 September 2015|year=2011}} The average weight for adults is {{convert|100|to|115|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.{{cite web |website=Animal Fact Guide |url=http://www.animalfactguide.com/animalfacts/giant-panda/ |title=Giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca |year=2011}}

The giant panda has a body shape typical of bears. It has black fur on its ears, eye patches, muzzle, legs, arms and shoulders. The rest of the animal's coat is white. Although scientists do not know why these unusual bears are black and white, speculation suggests that the bold colouring provides effective camouflage in their shade-dappled snowy and rocky habitat. {{cite book |last=Dudley |first=Karen |title=Giant Pandas |edition=Illustrated |series=Untamed world |year=1997|publisher=[[Weigl Educational Publishers Limited]] |isbn=0-919879-87-X |page=9}} The giant panda's thick, wooly coat keeps it warm in the cool forests of its habitat. The panda's skull shape is typical of [[durophagous]] carnivorans. It has evolved from previous ancestors to exhibit larger molars with increased complexity and expanded temporal fossa.{{cite book|last=Ellis|first=Richard|title=No turning back: the life and death of animal species|edition=illustrated|year=2004|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=0-06-055803-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/noturningbacklif00elli/page/315 315]|url=https://archive.org/details/noturningbacklif00elli/page/315}}{{cite journal |last1=Figueirido |first1=Borja |author2=Zhijie Jack Tseng, Alberto Mart ́ın-Serra |title=Skull shape evolution in durophagous carnivorans |journal=Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution |date=July 2013 |volume=67 |issue=7 |pages=1975–93 |doi=10.1111/evo.12059 |pmid=23815654 |s2cid=23918004 |ref=harv }} A {{convert|110.45|kg|lb|abbr=on}} giant panda has a 3D canine teeth bite force of 2603.47 newtons and [[bite force quotient]] of 292.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}} Another study had a {{convert|117.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}} giant panda bite of 1298.9 newtons (BFQ 151.4) at canine teeth and 1815.9 newtons (BFQ 141.8) at carnassial teeth.{{cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/239888|title=Bite forces and evolutionary adaptations to feeding ecology in carnivores (Ecology)|author=Stephen Wroe|journal=Academia.edu|volume=88|issue=2|pages=347–358}}

[[File:Giant panda Left hand Bone 2.jpg|thumb|left|Bones of the left forelimb]] The giant panda's [[paw]] has [[Sesamoid bone#Other animals|a "thumb" and five fingers]]; the "thumb" – actually a modified [[sesamoid bone]] – helps it to hold bamboo while eating.{{cite web|url=http://www.athro.com/evo/pthumb.html|title=The Panda's Thumb|last=Morris|first=Paul|author2=Susan F. Morris|publisher=Athro Limited|accessdate=7 August 2010}} [[Stephen Jay Gould]] discusses this feature in his book of essays on [[evolution]] and [[biology]], ''[[The Panda's Thumb (book)|The Panda's Thumb]]''.

The giant panda's tail, measuring {{convert|10|to|15|cm|in|0|abbr=on}}, is the second-longest in the bear family (the longest belongs to the [[sloth bear]]).

The giant panda typically lives around 20 years in the wild and up to 30 years in [[Captivity (animal)|captivity]].{{cite book|title=Earth's Changing Environment|url=https://archive.org/details/earthschangingen0000comp|url-access=registration|series=Learn & Explore|year= 2010|publisher= Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc|isbn=978-1-61535-339-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/earthschangingen0000comp/page/49 49]}} A female named [[Jia Jia (giant panda)|Jia Jia]] was the oldest giant panda ever in captivity, born in 1978 and died at an age of 38 on 16 October 2016.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37672804 |title='Oldest' panda in captivity Jia Jia dies at the age of 38 |work=BBC |date=2016-10-16 |accessdate=2016-10-16 }}

===Pathology=== [[File:Parasite150075-fig1 Toxoplasma gondii in Giant panda.tif|thumb|''[[Toxoplasma gondii]]'' (arrow) in [[macrophage]]s in the lung of a giant panda]] A seven-year-old female named Jin Yi died in 2014 in a zoo in [[Zhengzhou]], China, after showing symptoms of [[gastroenteritis]] and [[respiratory disease]]. It was found that the cause of death was [[toxoplasmosis]], a disease caused by ''[[Toxoplasma gondii]]'' and infecting most warm-blooded animals, including humans.{{cite journal|last1=Ma|first1=Hongyu|last2=Wang|first2=Zedong|last3=Wang|first3=Chengdong|last4=Li|first4=Caiwu|last5=Wei|first5=Feng|last6=Liu|first6=Quan|title=Fatal ''Toxoplasma gondii'' infection in the giant panda|journal=Parasite|volume=22|year=2015|pages=30|issn=1776-1042|doi=10.1051/parasite/2015030|doi-access=free|pmid=26514595|pmc=4626621|url=http://www.parasite-journal.org/articles/parasite/full_html/2015/01/parasite150075/parasite150075.html}}

===Genomics=== The giant panda [[genome]] was sequenced in 2009 using [[Illumina dye sequencing]].{{Cite journal | last1 = Li | first1 = R. | last2 = Fan | first2 = W. | last3 = Tian | first3 = G. | last4 = Zhu | first4 = H. | last5 = He | first5 = L. | last6 = Cai | first6 = J. | last7 = Huang | first7 = Q. | last8 = Cai | first8 = Q. | last9 = Li | first9 = B. | last10 = Bai | first10 = Y. | last11 = Zhang | first11 = Z. | last12 = Zhang | first12 = Y. | last13 = Wang | first13 = W. | last14 = Li | first14 = J. | last15 = Wei | first15 = F. | last16 = Li | first16 = H. | last17 = Jian | first17 = M. | last18 = Li | first18 = J. | last19 = Zhang | first19 = Z. | last20 = Nielsen | first20 = R. | last21 = Li | first21 = D. | last22 = Gu | first22 = W. | last23 = Yang | first23 = Z. | last24 = Xuan | first24 = Z. | last25 = Ryder | first25 = O. A. | last26 = Leung | first26 = F. C. C. | last27 = Zhou | last29 = Sun | first29 = X. | last30 = Fu | first30 = Y. | last28 = Cao | first28 = J. | title = The sequence and de novo assembly of the giant panda genome | doi = 10.1038/nature08696 | first27 = Y. | journal = Nature | volume = 463 | issue = 7279 | pages = 311–317 | year = 2009 | pmid = 20010809| pmc = 3951497| bibcode = 2010Natur.463..311L | display-authors = 29 }} Its genome contains 20 pairs of [[autosome]]s and one pair of sex chromosomes.

Despite its [[alpha taxonomy|taxonomic]] classification as a [[carnivora]]n, the giant panda's [[diet (nutrition)|diet]] is primarily [[herbivory|herbivorous]], consisting almost exclusively of bamboo. However, the giant panda still has the digestive system of a carnivore, as well as carnivore-specific genes,"(...)indicating that the panda probably has all the necessary components for a carnivorous digestive system." {{cite journal |vauthors=Li R, Fan W, Tian G, Zhu H, He L, Cai J, Huang Q, Cai Q, Li B, Bai Y, Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Wang W, Li J, Wei F, Li H, Jian M, Li J, Zhang Z, Nielsen R, Li D, Gu W, Yang Z, Xuan Z, Ryder OA, Leung FC, Zhou Y, Cao J, Sun X, Fu Y, Fang X, Guo X, Wang B, Hou R, Shen F, Mu B, Ni P, Lin R, Qian W, Wang G, Yu C, Nie W, Wang J, Wu Z, Liang H, Min J, Wu Q, Cheng S, Ruan J, Wang M, Shi Z, Wen M, Liu B, Ren X, Zheng H, Dong D, Cook K, Shan G, Zhang H, Kosiol C, Xie X, Lu Z, Zheng H, Li Y, Steiner CC, Lam TT, Lin S, Zhang Q, Li G, Tian J, Gong T, Liu H, Zhang D, Fang L, Ye C, Zhang J, Hu W, Xu A, Ren Y, Zhang G, Bruford MW, Li Q, Ma L, Guo Y, An N, Hu Y, Zheng Y, Shi Y, Li Z, Liu Q, Chen Y, Zhao J, Qu N, Zhao S, Tian F, Wang X, Wang H, Xu L, Liu X, Vinar T, Wang Y, Lam TW, Yiu SM, Liu S, Zhang H, Li D, Huang Y, Wang X, Yang G, Jiang Z, Wang J, Qin N, Li L, Li J, Bolund L, Kristiansen K, Wong GK, Olson M, Zhang X, Li S, Yang H, Wang J, Wang J | title = The sequence and de novo assembly of the giant panda genome | journal=Nature | volume = 463 | issue = 21 | pages = 311–317 | year = 2010 | pmid = 20010809 | pmc = 3951497 | doi = 10.1038/nature08696 | ref = harv | bibcode=2010Natur.463..311L |display-authors = 29 }} and thus derives little energy and little protein from consumption of bamboo. Its ability to digest [[cellulose]] is ascribed to the microbes in its gut."We did not find any homologues of digestive cellulase genes, including endoglucanase, exoglucanase and beta-glucosidase, indicating that the bamboo diet of the panda is unlikely to be dictated by its own genetic composition, and may instead be more dependent on its gut microbiome." {{cite journal |vauthors=Li R, Fan W, Tian G, Zhu H, He L, Cai J, Huang Q, Cai Q, Li B, Bai Y, Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Wang W, Li J, Wei F, Li H, Jian M, Li J, Zhang Z, Nielsen R, Li D, Gu W, Yang Z, Xuan Z, Ryder OA, Leung FC, Zhou Y, Cao J, Sun X, Fu Y, Fang X, Guo X, Wang B, Hou R, Shen F, Mu B, Ni P, Lin R, Qian W, Wang G, Yu C, Nie W, Wang J, Wu Z, Liang H, Min J, Wu Q, Cheng S, Ruan J, Wang M, Shi Z, Wen M, Liu B, Ren X, Zheng H, Dong D, Cook K, Shan G, Zhang H, Kosiol C, Xie X, Lu Z, Zheng H, Li Y, Steiner CC, Lam TT, Lin S, Zhang Q, Li G, Tian J, Gong T, Liu H, Zhang D, Fang L, Ye C, Zhang J, Hu W, Xu A, Ren Y, Zhang G, Bruford MW, Li Q, Ma L, Guo Y, An N, Hu Y, Zheng Y, Shi Y, Li Z, Liu Q, Chen Y, Zhao J, Qu N, Zhao S, Tian F, Wang X, Wang H, Xu L, Liu X, Vinar T, Wang Y, Lam TW, Yiu SM, Liu S, Zhang H, Li D, Huang Y, Wang X, Yang G, Jiang Z, Wang J, Qin N, Li L, Li J, Bolund L, Kristiansen K, Wong GK, Olson M, Zhang X, Li S, Yang H, Wang J, Wang J | title = The sequence and de novo assembly of the giant panda genome | journal=Nature | volume = 463 | issue = 21 | pages = 311–317 | year = 2010 | pmid = 20010809 | pmc = 3951497 | doi = 10.1038/nature08696 | ref = harv | bibcode=2010Natur.463..311L |display-authors=29}}{{cite journal|vauthors=Zhu L, Wu Q, Dai J, Zhang S, Wei F |title=Evidence of cellulose metabolism by the giant panda gut microbiome|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|date=17 October 2011|volume=108|issue=43|pages=17714–17719|doi=10.1073/pnas.1017956108|pmid=22006317|url=http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/10/11/1017956108|bibcode = 2011PNAS..10817714Z|ref=harv |last3=Dai|first3=J.|last4=Zhang|first4=S.|last5=Wei|first5=F.|pmc=3203778}} Pandas are born with sterile intestines and require bacteria obtained from their mother's feces to digest vegetation.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations/Coprophagia |title=BBC Nature — Dung eater videos, news and facts |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |accessdate=2011-11-27}} The giant panda is a highly specialised animal with unique adaptations, and has lived in bamboo forests for millions of years.{{cite web |url=http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/giantpandas/pandafacts/default.cfm |title=Giant Panda Facts |work=nationalzoo.si.edu |publisher=National Zoological Park |accessdate=8 June 2012 }}

The average giant panda eats as much as 9 to 14 kg (20 to 30 lb) of bamboo shoots a day to compensate for the limited energy content of its diet. Ingestion of such a large quantity of material is possible and necessary because of the rapid passage of large amounts of indigestible plant material through the short, straight digestive tract.{{cite journal|last1=Dierenfeld|first1=E. S.|last2=Hintz|first2=H. F.|last3=Robertson|first3=J. B.|last4=Van Soest|first4=P. J.|last5=Oftedal|first5=O. T.|title=Utilization of bamboo by the giant panda|journal=Journal of Nutrition|date=1982|volume=112|issue=4|pages=636–641|pmid=6279804|doi=10.1093/jn/112.4.636}}{{cite journal|last1=Finley|first1=T. G.|last2=Sikes|first2=Robert S.|last3=Parsons|first3=Jennifer L.|last4=Rude|first4=Brian J.|last5=Bissell|first5=Heidi A.|last6=Ouellette|first6=John R.|title=Energy digestibility of giant pandas on bamboo-only and on supplemented diet|journal=Zoo Biology|date=2011|volume=30|issue=2|pages=121–133|doi=10.1002/zoo.20340|pmid=20814990}} It is also noted, however, that such rapid passage of digesta limits the potential of microbial digestion in the gastrointestinal tract, limiting alternative forms of digestion. Given this voluminous diet, the giant panda defecates up to 40 times a day.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/5095448.stm|title=Panda tests bring population hope|publisher=BBC |accessdate=28 October 2010|date=20 June 2006}} The limited energy input imposed on it by its diet has affected the panda's behavior. The giant panda tends to limit its social interactions and avoids steeply sloping terrain to limit its energy expenditures.{{Cite news|last1=Ciochon |first1=Russell L. |last2=Eaves-Johnson |first2=K. Lindsay |date=20 July 2007 |title=Bamboozled! The Curious Natural History of the Giant Panda Family |url=http://scitizen.com/screens/blogPage/viewBlog/sw_viewBlog.php?idTheme=27&idContribution=855 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070721092645/http://www.scitizen.com/screens/blogPage/viewBlog/sw_viewBlog.php?idTheme=27&idContribution=855 |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 July 2007 |accessdate=22 July 2008 |periodical=Scitizen |authorlink=Russell Ciochon }}

Two of the panda's most distinctive features, its large size and round face, are [[adaptation]]s to its bamboo diet. Anthropologist [[Russell Ciochon]] observed: "[much] like the vegetarian [[gorilla]], the low body surface area to body volume [of the giant panda] is indicative of a lower metabolic rate. This lower metabolic rate and a more sedentary lifestyle allows the giant panda to subsist on nutrient poor resources such as bamboo." Similarly, the giant panda's round face is the result of powerful jaw muscles, which attach from the top of the head to the jaw. Large molars crush and grind fibrous plant material.

The morphological characteristics of extinct relatives of the giant panda suggest that while the ancient giant panda was omnivorous 7 million years ago (mya), it only became herbivorous some 2–2.4 mya with the emergence of ''A. microta''.{{cite journal|last1=Jin|first1=C|last2=Ciochon|first2=R. L.|last3=Dong|first3=W|last4=Hunt Jr|first4=R. M.|last5=Liu|first5=J|last6=Jaeger|first6=M|last7=Zhu|first7=Q|title=The first skull of the earliest giant panda|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|date=2007|volume=104|issue=26|pages=10932–10937|doi=10.1073/pnas.0704198104|pmid=17578912|pmc=1904166|bibcode=2007PNAS..10410932J}}{{cite journal|last1=Zhao|first1=S|last2=Zheng|first2=P|last3=Dong|first3=S|last4=Zhan|first4=X|last5=Wu|first5=Q|last6=Guo|first6=X|last7=Hu|first7=Y|last8=He|first8=W|last9=Zhang|first9=S|last10=Fan|first10=W|last11=Zhu|first11=L|last12=Li|first12=D|last13=Zhang|first13=X|last14=Chen|first14=Q|last15=Zhang|first15=H|last16=Zhang|first16=Z|last17=Jin|first17=X|last18=Zhang|first18=J|last19=Yang|first19=H|last20=Wang|first20=J|last21=Wang|first21=J|last22=Wei|first22=F|title=Whole-genome sequencing of giant pandas provides insights into demographic history and local adaptation|journal=Nature Genetics|date=2013|volume=45|issue=1|pages=67–71|doi=10.1038/ng.2494|pmid=23242367|s2cid=1261505}} Genome sequencing of the giant panda suggests that the dietary switch could have initiated from the loss of the sole T1R1/T1R3 umami taste receptor, resulting from two frameshift mutations within the T1R1 exons.{{cite journal|last1=Li|first1=R|last2=Fan|first2=W|last3=Tian|first3=G|last4=Zhu|first4=H|last5=He|first5=L|last6=Cai|first6=J|last7=Huang|first7=Q|last8=Cai|first8=Q|last9=Li|first9=B|last10=Bai|first10=Y|last11=Zhang|first11=Z|last12=Zhang|first12=Y|last13=Wang|first13=W|last14=Li|first14=J|last15=Wei|first15=F|last16=Li|first16=H|last17=Jian|first17=M|last18=Li|first18=J|last19=Zhang|first19=Z|last20=Nielsen|first20=R|last21=Li|first21=D|last22=Gu|first22=W|last23=Yang|first23=Z|last24=Xuan|first24=Z|last25=Ryder|first25=O. A.|last26=Leung|first26=F. C.|last27=Zhou|first27=Y|last28=Cao|first28=J|last29=Sun|first29=X|last30=Fu|first30=Y|title=The sequence and de novo assembly of the giant panda genome|journal=Nature|volume=463|issue=7279|pages=311–317|pmid=20010809|pmc=3951497|year=2010|display-authors=29|doi=10.1038/nature08696|bibcode=2010Natur.463..311L}} Umami taste corresponds to high levels of glutamate as found in meat and may have thus altered the food choice of the giant panda.{{cite journal|last1=Jin|first1=K|last2=Xue|first2=Chenyi|last3=Wu|first3=Xiaoli|last4=Qian|first4=Jinyi|last5=Zhu|first5=Yong|last6=Yang|first6=Zhen|last7=Yonezawa|first7=Takahiro|last8=Crabbe|first8=M. James C.|last9=Cao|first9=Ying|last10=Hasegawa|first10=Masami|last11=Zhong|first11=Yang|last12=Zheng|first12=Yufang|title=Why does the giant panda eat bamboo? A comparative analysis of appetite-reward-related genes among mammals|journal=PLOS ONE|date=2011|volume=6|issue=7|pages=22602|bibcode=2011PLoSO...622602J|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0022602|pmid=21818345|pmc=3144909}} Although the pseudogenisation of the umami taste receptor in ''Ailuropoda'' coincides with the dietary switch to herbivory, it is likely a result of, and not the reason for, the dietary change. The mutation time for the T1R1 gene in the giant panda is estimated to 4.2 mya while fossil evidence indicates bamboo consumption in the giant panda species at least 7 mya, signifying that although complete herbivory occurred around 2 mya, the dietary switch was initiated prior to T1R1 loss-of-function.

Pandas eat any of 25 bamboo species in the wild, such as ''[[Fargesia dracocephala]]''{{Cite book| last =Li| first =De-Zhu; Guo, Zhenhua; Stapleton, Chris | contribution =Fargesia dracocephala | year =2007| title =Flora of China| editor-last =Wu| editor-first =Z. Y. |editor2=Raven, P.H. |editor3=Hong, D.Y.| volume =22| page =93| place=Beijing| publisher=Science Press; St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden Press| contribution-url =http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200025413}} and ''[[Fargesia rufa]]''.{{Cite book| last =Li| first =De-Zhu |author2=Guo, Zhenhua |author3=Stapleton, Chris | contribution =Fargesia rufa | year =2007| title =Flora of China| editor-last =Wu| editor-first =Z. Y. |editor2=Raven, P.H. |editor3=Hong, D.Y.| volume =22| page =81| place=Beijing| publisher=Science Press; St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden Press| contribution-url =http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200025444}} Only a few bamboo species are widespread at the high altitudes pandas now inhabit. Bamboo leaves contain the highest protein levels; stems have less.{{cite web|url=http://lrrd.cipav.org.co/lrrd4/2/dolberg.htm|title=Progress in the utilization of urea-ammonia treated crop residues: biological and socio-economic aspects of animal production and application of the technology on small farms|last=Dolberg|first=Frands|date=1 August 1992|publisher=University of Arhus|accessdate=10 August 2010}}

Because of the synchronous flowering, death, and regeneration of all bamboo within a species, the giant panda must have at least two different species available in its range to avoid starvation. While primarily herbivorous, the giant panda still retains decidedly ursine teeth and will eat meat, fish, and eggs when available. In captivity, zoos typically maintain the giant panda's bamboo diet, though some will provide specially formulated biscuits or other dietary supplements.{{harvnb|Lumpkin|Seidensticker|2007|pp=63–64}} (page numbers as per the 2002 edition)

Pandas will travel between different habitats if they need to, so they can get the nutrients that they need and to balance their diet for reproduction. For six years, scientists studied six pandas tagged with GPS collars at the Foping Reserve in the Qinling Mountains. They took note of their foraging and mating habits and analyzed samples of their food and feces. The pandas would move from the valleys into the Qinling Mountains and would only return to the valleys in autumn. During the summer months bamboo shoots rich in protein are only available at higher altitudes which causes low calcium rates in the pandas and during breeding season the pandas would trek back down to eat bamboo leaves rich in calcium.{{cite news|title=Pandas roam to find better bamboo|url=http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2014/07/pandas-roam-to-find-better-bamboo|accessdate=17 November 2014|website=Australian Geographic|date=25 July 2014}}

===Predators=== Although adult giant pandas have few natural predators other than humans, young cubs are vulnerable to attacks by [[snow leopard]]s, [[yellow-throated marten]]s,{{cite web|title=Predator of giant panda|url=http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/giant_panda/panda/kung_fu_panda_enemies_defences/|publisher=WWF}} eagles, feral dogs, and the [[Asian black bear]]. Sub-adults weighing up to {{convert|50|kg|lb|abbr=on}} may be vulnerable to predation by [[Chinese leopard|leopard]]s.{{cite book |author=Schaller, G.B., Jinchu, H., Wenshi, P., and Jing, Z. |year=1985 |title=The giant pandas of Wolong |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago and London}}

==Behavior== The giant panda is a [[terrestrial animal]] and primarily spends its life roaming and feeding in the bamboo forests of the [[Qin Mountains|Qinling Mountains]] and in the hilly province of [[Sichuan]].{{cite web|url=http://www.wwfchina.org/english/pandacentral/htm/learn_about_giant_panda/panda_q_a/panda_behavior_habitat.htm |title=Panda behavior & habitat |publisher=World Wildlife Federation China |accessdate=16 June 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607110445/http://www.wwfchina.org/english/pandacentral/htm/learn_about_giant_panda/panda_q_a/panda_behavior_habitat.htm |archivedate=7 June 2008 }} Giant pandas are generally solitary. Each adult has a defined territory and a female is not tolerant of other females in her range. Social encounters occur primarily during the brief breeding season in which pandas in proximity to one another will gather.{{cite web|url=http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/PandaFacts/default.cfm|title=Giant Panda|publisher=National Zoological Park|accessdate=17 July 2008}} After mating, the male leaves the female alone to raise the cub.{{cite book|last=Dudley|first=Karen|title=Giant Pandas|edition=illustrated|series=Untamed world|year=1997|publisher=Weigl Educational Publishers|isbn=0-919879-87-X|page=23}}

Pandas were thought to fall into the [[crepuscular]] category, those who are active twice a day, at dawn and dusk; however, Jindong Zhang found that pandas may belong to a category all of their own, with activity peaks in the morning, afternoon and midnight. Due to their sheer size, they can be active at any time of the day.[http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news/2015/08/pandas-live-different-rhythm Pandas Live by a Different Rhythm] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815150748/http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news/2015/08/pandas-live-different-rhythm |date=15 August 2015 }} published on 08/07/2015 by Michigan State Univ. Activity is highest in June and decreases in late summer to fall with an increase from November through the following March.{{cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Jindong |last2=Hull |first2=Vanessa |last3=Huang |first3=Jinyang |last4=Zhou |first4=Shiqiang |title=Activity patterns of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |date=24 November 2015 |volume=96 |issue=6 |pages=1116–1127 |doi=10.1093/jmammal/gyv118 |url=https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/96/6/1116/1167424 |accessdate=8 March 2020|doi-access=free }} Activity is also directly related to the amount of sunlight during colder days.

Pandas communicate through vocalisation and scent marking such as clawing trees or [[spraying (animal behavior)|spraying urine]]. They are able to climb and take shelter in hollow trees or rock crevices, but do not establish permanent dens. For this reason, pandas do not [[hibernation|hibernate]], which is similar to other subtropical mammals, and will instead move to elevations with warmer temperatures.{{cite web|url=http://www.animalinfo.org/species/carnivor/ailumela.htm|title=Animal Info – Giant Panda|publisher=Animal Info|author=Paul Massicot|date=13 February 2007|accessdate=17 June 2008}} Pandas rely primarily on [[spatial memory]] rather than [[visual memory]].{{cite web|url=http://www.apa.org/monitor/jan04/pandas.html|title=Understanding the giant panda| author=Deborah Smith Bailey|volume=35 |issue=1 |date=January 2004 |publisher=American Psychological Association }}

Though the panda is often assumed to be docile, it has been known to attack humans, presumably out of irritation rather than aggression.{{cite news|title=Teenager hospitalized after panda attack in Chinese zoo|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,304249,00.html|publisher=Fox News/Associated Press|date=23 October 2007|access-date=29 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609063304/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,304249,00.html|archive-date=9 June 2009|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7743748.stm |title=Panda attacks man in Chinese zoo|work=BBC News |date=22 November 2008}}{{cite news|title=Giant panda in China bites third victim|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/01/09/panda.attack/index.html|publisher=CNN News|date=10 January 2009}}

===Reproduction=== [[File:Chengdu-pandas-d18.jpg|thumb|right|A giant panda cub. At birth, the giant panda typically weighs {{convert|100|to|200|g|oz|abbr=off|frac=2}} and measures {{convert|15|to|17|cm|in|0|sp=us|abbr=off}} long.{{cite web|url=http://www.animalinfo.org/species/carnivor/ailumela.htm#Early|title=Animal Info – Giant Panda|accessdate=29 May 2009}}]]

Initially, the primary method of breeding giant pandas in captivity was by [[artificial insemination]], as they seemed to lose their interest in [[mating]] once they were captured.{{cite news |title=National Zoo's Giant Panda Undergoes Artificial Insemination |url=http://www.nbc4.com/news/15643501/detail.html |work=[[NBC]] |agency=Associated Press |date=19 March 2008 |accessdate=13 April 2008 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} This led some scientists to try extreme methods, such as showing them [[Panda pornography|videos of giant pandas mating]]{{cite news |first=Narunart |last=Prapanya |title='Panda porn' to encourage mating |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/01/25/panda.passion/index.html |publisher=[[Time Warner]] |date= 25 January 2006 |accessdate=13 April 2008 }} and giving the males [[sildenafil]] (commonly known by name Viagra).{{cite news |title=Pandas unexcited by Viagra |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2246588.stm |work=BBC News |date= 9 September 2002 |accessdate=13 April 2008 }} Only recently have researchers started having success with captive breeding programs, and they have now determined giant pandas have comparable breeding to some populations of the [[American black bear]], a thriving bear species. The normal reproductive rate is considered to be one young every two years.

[[File: Chengdu panda breeding.jpg|thumb|right|Panda Research and Breeding Center in [[Chengdu]].]]

Giant pandas reach sexual maturity between the ages of four and eight, and may be reproductive until age 20.{{cite news |title=Giant Panda Reproduction |url=http://newsdesk.si.edu/kits/pandas/nzp_panda_reproduction.pdf |work=National Zoological Park |accessdate=13 April 2008 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527204441/http://newsdesk.si.edu/kits/pandas/nzp_panda_reproduction.pdf |archivedate=27 May 2008 |url-status=dead}} The mating season is between March and May, when a female goes into [[estrus]], which lasts for two or three days and only occurs once a year.{{cite web |url=http://www.4panda.com/panda/pandatips/reproduction.htm |title=Giant Panda Reproduction |accessdate=14 April 2008 |last=Kleiman |first=Devra G |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807161537/http://www.4panda.com/panda/pandatips/reproduction.htm |archivedate=7 August 2008}} When mating, the female is in a crouching, head-down position as the male mounts her from behind. [[Copulation]] time is short, ranging from 30 seconds to five minutes, but the male may mount her repeatedly to ensure successful fertilisation. The [[gestation]] period ranges from 95 to 160 days.

Giant pandas give birth to twins in about half of pregnancies.{{cite news |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/giant-panda-preparing-to-give-birth-national-zoo-says/2015/08/22/bba0fd2c-4804-11e5-8ab4-c73967a143d3_story.html |title= National Zoo's giant panda Mei Xiang gives birth to two cubs hours apart |first1=Michael E. |last1=Ruane |first2=Elizabeth |last2=Koh |first3=Martin |last3=Weil |work=The Washington Post |date=23 August 2015 |accessdate=24 August 2015}} If twins are born, usually only one survives in the wild. The mother will select the stronger of the cubs, and the weaker cub will die due to starvation. The mother is thought to be unable to produce enough milk for two cubs since she does not store fat.{{cite web|url=http://www.pandasinternational.org/wptemp/education-2/panda-facts/|title=Panda Facts|publisher=Pandas International|accessdate=26 August 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924063658/http://www.pandasinternational.org/wptemp/education-2/panda-facts/|archivedate=24 September 2015}} The father has no part in helping raise the cub.

When the cub is first born, it is pink, blind, and toothless,{{cite book |last=Dudley |first=Karen |title=Giant Pandas |edition=Illustrated|series=Untamed world|year=1997|publisher=Weigl Educational Publishers|isbn=0-919879-87-X|page=26}} weighing only {{convert|90|to|130|g|oz|frac=4|abbr=on}}, or about {{sfrac|1|800}}th of the mother's weight,{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/441032/giant-panda|title=Giant Panda|year=2010|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online|accessdate=9 August 2010}} proportionally the smallest baby of any placental mammal.''Guinness World Records 2013'', Page 050, hardcover edition. {{ISBN|9781904994879}} It nurses from its mother's breast six to 14 times a day for up to 30 minutes at a time. For three to four hours, the mother may leave the den to feed, which leaves the cub defenseless. One to two weeks after birth, the cub's skin turns grey where its hair will eventually become black. Slight pink colour may appear on the cub's fur, as a result of a [[chemical reaction]] between the fur and its mother's [[saliva]]. A month after birth, the colour pattern of the cub's fur is fully developed. Its fur is very soft and coarsens with age. The cub begins to crawl at 75 to 80 days; mothers play with their cubs by rolling and wrestling with them. The cubs can eat small quantities of bamboo after six months,{{cite web|url=http://animal.discovery.com/videos/panda-update-september-cub-exam.html|title=Panda Update: September Cub Exam|date=4 May 2006|publisher=Discovery Communications, LLC|accessdate=9 August 2010}} though mother's milk remains the primary food source for most of the first year. Giant panda cubs weigh 45 kg (100 pounds) at one year and live with their mothers until they are 18 months to two years old. The interval between births in the wild is generally two years.

In July 2009, Chinese scientists confirmed the birth of the first cub to be successfully conceived through artificial insemination using frozen sperm. The cub was born at 07:41 on 23 July that year in [[Sichuan]] as the third cub of You You, an 11-year-old.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/0725/1224251307368.html|title=First panda cub born using frozen sperm|date=25 July 2009|accessdate=26 July 2009|work=The Irish Times }} The technique for freezing the sperm in [[liquid nitrogen]] was first developed in 1980 and the first birth was hailed as a solution to the dwindling availability of giant panda semen, which had led to inbreeding. Panda semen, which can be frozen for decades, could be shared between different zoos to save the species.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8168491.stm|title=Baby panda born from frozen sperm|date=25 July 2009|accessdate=26 July 2009|publisher=BBC }}{{cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/24/content_11766726.htm|title=World's 1st giant panda born from frozen sperm in SW China|date=24 July 2009|accessdate=26 July 2009|publisher=Xinhua News Agency|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091226013440/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/24/content_11766726.htm|archivedate=26 December 2009}} It is expected that zoos in destinations such as San Diego in the United States and [[Mexico City]] will now be able to provide their own semen to inseminate more giant pandas.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2009-07-24-panda_N.htm|title=China announces first panda from frozen sperm|date=24 July 2009|accessdate=24 January 2011|work=USA TODAY|first=Tini|last=Tran}} In August 2014, a rare birth of panda triplets was announced in China; it was the fourth of such births ever reported.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/rare-panda-triplets-born-in-china-1.2734071|title=Rare panda triplets born in China|date=12 August 2014|work=cbc.ca}}

Attempts have also been made to reproduce giant pandas by [[interspecific pregnancy]] by implanting cloned panda embryos into the uterus of an animal of another species. This has resulted in panda fetuses, but no live births.{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1095/biolreprod67.2.637 | last1 = Chen | first1 = D. Y. | last2 = Wen | first2 = D. C. | last3 = Zhang | first3 = Y. P. | last4 = Sun | first4 = Q. Y. | last5 = Han | first5 = Z. M. | last6 = Liu | first6 = Z. H. | last7 = Shi | first7 = P. | last8 = Li | first8 = J. S. | last9 = Xiangyu | first9 = J. G. | last10 = Lian | first10 = L. | last11 = Kou | first11 = Z. H. | last12 = Wu | first12 = Y. Q. | last13 = Chen | first13 = Y. C. | last14 = Wang | first14 = P. Y. | last15 = Zhang | first15 = H. M. | title = Interspecies implantation and mitochondria fate of panda-rabbit cloned embryos | journal = Biology of Reproduction | volume = 67 | issue = 2 | pages = 637–642 | year = 2002 | pmid = 12135908 | doi-access = free }}

==Uses and human interaction==

===Early references=== {{Main|Mo (Chinese zoology)}} In the past, pandas were thought to be rare and noble creatures – the [[Empress Dowager Bo]] was buried with a panda skull in her vault. The grandson of [[Emperor Taizong of Tang]] is said to have given Japan two pandas and a sheet of panda skin as a sign of goodwill. Unlike many other animals in [[history of China|Ancient China]], pandas were rarely thought to have medical uses. The few known uses include the Sichuan tribal peoples' use of panda urine to melt accidentally swallowed needles, and the use of panda pelts to control [[menses]] as described in the [[Qin Dynasty]] encyclopedia ''[[Erya]]''.{{harvnb|Schaller|1993|p=61}}

The creature named ''mo'' (貘) mentioned in some ancient books has been interpreted as giant panda. The dictionary ''[[Shuowen Jiezi]]'' ([[Eastern Han Dynasty]]) says that the ''mo'', from [[Shu (state)|Shu]] (Sichuan), is bear-like, but yellow-and-black,[http://chinese.dsturgeon.net/text.pl?node=26160&if=en&searchu=%E8%B2%98#n32614 Shuowen Jiezi, Chapter 10, radical 豸]: "貘：似熊而黃黑色，出蜀中" ("''Mo'': like bear, but yellow-and-black, comes from [[Shu (state)|Shu]]"). although the older ''[[Erya]]'' describes ''mo'' simply as a "white leopard".[http://chinese.dsturgeon.net/text.pl?node=39144&if=en Erya, Chapter "釋獸" ("About animals")]: "貘，白豹" (''Mo'', white leopard). The interpretation of the legendary fierce creature ''[[pixiu]]'' (貔貅) as referring to the giant panda is also common.[http://www.kepu.net.cn/english/giantpanda/giantpanda_know/200409230028.html China Giant Panda Museum: Historical Records in Ancient China]. Supposed Chinese historical terminology appears in the Chinese version of this article, [http://www.kepu.net.cn/gb/lives/panda/know/now001.html 我国古代的历史记载] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706193346/http://www.kepu.net.cn/english/giantpanda/giantpanda_know/200409230028.html |date=6 July 2012 }}

During the reign of the [[Yongle Emperor]] (early 15th century), his relative from [[Kaifeng]] sent him a captured ''[[zouyu]]'' ([[:zh:騶虞|騶虞]]), and another ''zouyu'' was sighted in [[Shandong]]. ''Zouyu'' is a legendary "righteous" animal, which, similarly to a ''[[qilin]]'', only appears during the rule of a benevolent and sincere monarch. It is said to be fierce as a [[tiger]], but gentle and strictly vegetarian, and described in some books as a [[white tiger]] with black spots. Puzzled about the real zoological identity of the creature captured during the Yongle era, J.J.L. Duyvendak exclaims, "Can it possibly have been a Pandah?"{{Cite journal |first=J.J.L.|last= Duyvendak|jstor=4527170 |title=The True Dates of the Chinese Maritime Expeditions in the Early Fifteenth Century The True Dates of the Chinese Maritime Expeditions in the Early Fifteenth Century |journal=T'oung Pao |series=Second Series| volume= 34|issue= 5|year=1939|page=402 |ref=harv }}

The comparative obscurity of the giant panda throughout most of China's history is illustrated by the fact that, despite there being a number of depictions of bears in [[Chinese art]] starting from its most ancient times, and the bamboo being one of the favorite subjects for Chinese painters, there are no known pre-20th-century artistic representations of giant pandas.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

===Western discovery=== The West first learned of the giant panda on 11 March 1869, when the French [[missionary]] [[Armand David]] received a skin from a hunter. The first Westerner known to have seen a living giant panda is the German zoologist [[Hugo Weigold]], who purchased a cub in 1916. [[Kermit Roosevelt|Kermit]] and [[Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.]], became the first Westerners to shoot a panda, on an expedition funded by the [[Field Museum of Natural History]] in the 1920s. In 1936, [[Ruth Harkness]] became the first Westerner to bring back a live giant panda, a cub named [[Su Lin (1930s giant panda)|Su Lin]]{{cite web| first=DA | last=Watson | title=The Panda Lady: Ruth Harkness (Part 1) |url=http://femexplorers.com/full_article.php?article_id=17 | publisher=Female explorers|accessdate=1 February 2007}} which went to live at the [[Brookfield Zoo]] in Chicago. In 1938, Floyd Tangier Smith captured and delivered five giant pandas to London, they arrived on 23 December aboard the [[SS Antenor (1924)|SS Antenor]].{{cite web | title = Giant Pandas Through Singapore. Rare Animals from Wilds of China. Will be First to Reach Europe in Captivity.|work=The Straits Times| date = 27 November 1938 | url = http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article.aspx?articleid=straitstimes19381127.2.109&sessionid=9fb04643596f4181a3eba55881450408&keyword=antenor+panda | accessdate =2 February 2010}}{{cite web | last = Austin | first = A. B. | title = How Giant Pandas Arrived in London |work=The Straits Times| date = 8 January 1939 | url = http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article.aspx?articleid=straitstimes19390108.2.79&sessionid=feffb0825aa74ad486527dce35b920cc&keyword=antenor+panda&sort=&page=1&sort= | accessdate =2 February 2010}} These five were the first on British soil and were transferred to [[London Zoo]].{{Cite book|last=Nicholls|first=Henry|title=The Way of the Panda: The Curious History of China's Political Animal|publisher=Pegasus Books|year=2010}} One, named Grandma, only lasted a few days. She was [[Taxidermy|taxidermied]] by E. Gerrard and Sons and sold to [[Leeds City Museum]] where she is currently on display to the public. Another, Ming, became [[London Zoo]]'s first Giant Panda. Her skull is held by the [[Royal College of Surgeons|Royal College of Surgeons of England.]]{{Cite journal|last=Hussey|first=Kristin|date=2014|title=Ming the forgotten celebrity: a giant panda skull at the Royal College of Surgeons of England|url=https://www.academia.edu/9691101|journal=Archives of Natural History|volume=41|issue=1|pages=159–175|doi=10.3366/anh.2014.0219|via=ACADEMIA}} [[File:Lightmatter panda.jpg|thumb|right|Adult male giant panda]]

===Panda diplomacy=== {{main|Panda diplomacy}} Gifts of giant pandas to American and Japanese zoos formed an important part of the diplomacy of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the 1970s, as it marked some of the first cultural exchanges between China and the West. This practice has been termed "panda diplomacy".{{Cite journal|last1=Buckingham|first1=Kathleen Carmel|last2=David|first2=Jonathan Neil William|last3=Jepson|first3=Paul|date=September 2013|title=Environmental Reviews and Case Studies: Diplomats and Refugees: Panda Diplomacy, Soft "Cuddly" Power, and the New Trajectory in Panda Conservation|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/environmental-practice/article/environmental-reviews-and-case-studies-diplomats-and-refugees-panda-diplomacy-soft-cuddly-power-and-the-new-trajectory-in-panda-conservation/A23238335C47C1717417060B7AAB05AF|journal=Environmental Practice|volume=15|issue=3|pages=262–270|doi=10.1017/S1466046613000185|s2cid=154378167|issn=1466-0466}}

By 1984, however, pandas were no longer given as gifts. Instead, China began to offer pandas to other nations only on 10-year loans, under terms including a fee of up to US$1,000,000 per year and a provision that any cubs born during the loan are the property of China. Since 1998, because of a [[World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF]] [[lawsuit]], the [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service]] only allows a US [[zoo]] to import a panda if the zoo can ensure that China will channel more than half of its loan fee into [[conservation movement|conservation]] efforts for the giant panda and its habitat.

In May 2005, China offered a breeding pair to [[Taiwan]]. The issue became embroiled in [[cross-Strait relations]] – both over the underlying symbolism, and over technical issues such as whether the transfer would be considered "domestic" or "international", or whether any true conservation purpose would be served by the exchange.[http://www.newsweek.com/id/45901/ China's Panda Politics]. [[Newsweek]]. 15 October 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2008. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010223523/http://www.newsweek.com/id/45901/ |date=10 October 2012 }} A contest in 2006 to name the pandas was held in the mainland, resulting in the politically charged names [[Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan]] (from ''tuanyuan'', meaning "reunion", i.e. "reunification"). China's offer was initially rejected by [[Chen Shui-bian]], then President of Taiwan. However, when [[Ma Ying-jeou]] assumed the presidency in 2008, the offer was accepted, and the pandas arrived in December of that year.[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/dec/23/china-taiwan-pandas China sends panda peace offering]. [[The Guardian]]. 28 December 2008.

===Biofuel===

Microbes in panda waste are being investigated for their use in creating [[biofuels]] from bamboo and other plant materials.{{cite web|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/09/130910-panda-poop-might-help-turn-plants-into-fuel |title=Panda Poop Might Help Turn Plants into Fuel |publisher=News.nationalgeographic.com |date=2013-09-10 |accessdate=2013-10-02}}

===Conservation=== The giant panda is a [[vulnerable species]], threatened by continued [[habitat destruction|habitat loss]] and [[habitat fragmentation]],{{cite journal|last1=Li|first1=Renqiang|last2=Xu|first2=Ming|last3=Wong|first3=Michelle Hang Gi|title=Climate change threatens giant panda protection in the 21st century|journal=Biological Conservation|date=February 2015|volume=182|pages=93–101|doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2014.11.037|url=http://ir.igsnrr.ac.cn/handle/311030/38697}} and by a very low birthrate, both in the wild and in [[captivity (animal)|captivity]]. Its range is currently confined to a small portion on the western edge of its historical range, which stretched through southern and eastern China, northern [[Myanmar]], and northern [[Vietnam]].

The giant panda has been a target of poaching by locals since ancient times and by foreigners since it was introduced to the West. Starting in the 1930s, foreigners were unable to poach giant pandas in China because of the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] and the [[Chinese Civil War]], but pandas remained a source of soft furs for the locals. The population boom in China after 1949 created stress on the pandas' habitat and the subsequent famines led to the increased hunting of wildlife, including pandas. During the [[Cultural Revolution]], all studies and conservation activities on the pandas were stopped. After the [[Chinese economic reform]], demand for panda skins from Hong Kong and Japan led to illegal poaching for the [[underground economy|black market]], acts generally ignored by the local officials at the time.

[[File:Panda Cub from Wolong, Sichuan, China.JPG|thumb|right|Closeup of a seven-month-old panda cub]]

In 1963, the PRC government set up [[Wolong National Nature Reserve]] to save the declining panda population.{{cite web|url=http://www.chinawolong.com/doce/about.htm|title=About Wolong |publisher=Wolong National Natural Reserve|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061201172138/https://www.chinawolong.com/doce/about.htm|archivedate=1 December 2006 |date=7 May 2005}} {{cns|However, few advances in the conservation of pandas were made at the time, owing to inexperience and insufficient knowledge of ecology. Many believed the best way to save the pandas was to cage them. As a result, pandas were caged at any sign of decline and suffered from terrible conditions. Because of pollution and destruction of their natural habitat, along with segregation caused by caging, reproduction of wild pandas was severely limited. In the 1990s, however, several laws (including gun control and the removal of resident humans from the reserves) helped their chances of survival. With these renewed efforts and improved conservation methods, wild pandas have started to increase in numbers in some areas, though they still are classified as a [[rare species]].|date=March 2020}}

In 2006, scientists reported that the number of pandas living in the wild may have been underestimated at about 1,000. Previous population surveys had used conventional methods to estimate the size of the wild panda population, but using a new method that analyzes [[DNA]] from panda [[Feces|droppings]], scientists believe the wild population may be as large as 3,000. In 2006, there were 40 panda reserves in China, compared to just 13 reserves in 1998. As the species has been reclassified to "vulnerable" since 2016, the conservation efforts are thought to be working. Furthermore, in response to this reclassification, the [[State Forestry Administration of the People's Republic of China|State Forestry Administration of China]] announced that they would not accordingly lower the conservation level for panda, and would instead reinforce the conservation efforts.[http://www.forestry.gov.cn/main/195/content-902929.html The Panda is still endangered species, and the conservation efforts still need to be reinforced] ''State Forestry Administration of the People's Republic of China'' (in Chinese)

The giant panda is among the world's most adored and protected rare animals, and is one of the few in the world whose natural inhabitant status was able to gain a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]] designation. The [[Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries]], located in the southwest province of [[Sichuan]] and covering seven natural reserves, were inscribed onto the World Heritage List in 2006.{{cite news |title=Pandas gain world heritage status |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5174854.stm |accessdate=17 January 2020 |publisher=BBC |date=12 July 2006}}{{cite news |last1=Benn |first1=Joanna |title=Panda sanctuary in China added to World Heritage list |url=https://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?76460/Panda-sanctuary-in-China-added-to-World-Heritage-list |accessdate=17 January 2020 |publisher=WWF |date=13 July 2006}}{{cite web |title=Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries - Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountains |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1213/ |publisher=Unesco WHC |accessdate=17 January 2020}}

Not all conservationists agree that the money spent on conserving pandas is well spent. [[Chris Packham]] has argued that the breeding of pandas in captivity is "pointless" because "there is not enough habitat left to sustain them".[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6216775/Chris-Packham-Giant-pandas-should-be-allowed-to-die-out.html Chris Packham: 'Giant pandas should be allowed to die out']. ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''. 22 September 2009. Packham argues that the money spent on pandas would be better spent elsewhere, and has said he would "eat the last panda if I could have all the money we have spent on panda conservation put back on the table for me to do more sensible things with",[http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22730796-30417,00.html Beyond cute and cuddly] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116040347/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22730796-30417,00.html |date=16 January 2009 }}. ''[[The Australian]]''. 10 November 2007. though he has apologised for upsetting people who like pandas.{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/09/23/bear-raid-115875-21693846/ |title=TV Packham says sorry for 'ditch pandas' blast |work=Daily Mirror |location=UK |date=23 September 2009 |accessdate=24 April 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229234817/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/09/23/bear-raid-115875-21693846/ |archivedate=29 December 2009}} He said, "The panda is possibly one of the grossest wastes of conservation money in the last half century." However, a 2015 paper found that the giant panda can serve as an [[umbrella species]] as the preservation of their habitat also helps other [[endemic species]] in China, including 70% of the country's forest birds, 70% of mammals and 31% of amphibians.{{cite journal|author1=Pimm, Stuart L. |author2=Li, Binbin V. |year=2015|title=China's endemic vertebrates sheltering under the protective umbrella of the giant panda|journal=Conservation Biology|doi=10.1111/cobi.12618|pmid=26332026 |volume=30|issue=2 |pages=329–339}}

In 2012, [[Earthwatch Institute]], a global nonprofit that teams volunteers with scientists to conduct important environmental research, launched a program called "On the Trail of Giant Panda". This program, based in the Wolong National Nature Reserve, allows volunteers to work up close with pandas cared for in captivity, and help them adapt to life in the wild, so that they may breed, and live longer and healthier lives.{{cite web |url=http://www.earthwatch.org/exped/zhang.html |title=Earthwatch: On the Trail of Giant Panda |access-date=24 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301032825/http://www.earthwatch.org/exped/zhang.html |archive-date=1 March 2012 |url-status=dead }} Efforts to preserve the panda bear populations in China have come at the expense of other animals in the region, including snow leopards, wolves, and dholes.{{Cite web|last=CNN|first=Jessie Yeung|title=China's focus on panda conservation has come at the cost of other species: study|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/04/asia/china-panda-conservation-study-intl-hnk-scli-scn/index.html|access-date=2020-08-16|website=CNN}}

===In zoos=== {{Main|Giant pandas around the world|List of giant pandas}} {{category see also|Individual giant pandas}}

Pandas have been kept in zoos as early as the [[Western Han Dynasty]] in China, where the writer [[Sima Xiangru]] noted that the panda was the most treasured animal in the emperor's garden of exotic animals in the capital [[Chang'an]] (present [[Xi'an]]). Not until the 1950s were pandas again recorded to have been exhibited in China's zoos.Schaller pg.62.

[[Chi Chi (giant panda)|Chi Chi]] at the [[London Zoo]] became very popular. This influenced the [[World Wildlife Fund]] to use a panda as its symbol.{{cite web|url=http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/giantpanda/panda.html |title=Giant Panda: Overview |publisher=World Wildlife Fund |accessdate=26 October 2011}}

A 2006 ''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'' article{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/12/national/12panda.html|title=Eats Shoots, Leaves and Much of Zoos' Budgets|last=Goodman|first=Brenda|date=12 February 2006|accessdate=9 August 2010|location=Atlanta|work=The New York Times}} outlined the economics of keeping pandas, which costs five times more than keeping the next most expensive animal, an elephant. American zoos generally pay the Chinese government $1 million a year in fees, as part of a typical ten-year contract. San Diego's contract with China was to expire in 2008, but got a five-year extension at about half of the previous yearly cost.{{cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20081213-9999-1n13panda.html|title=Zoo negotiates lower price to rent bears from China|publisher=SignOnSanDiego.com|date=13 December 2008}} The last contract, with the [[Memphis Zoo]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee]], ended in 2013.

=== Population chart === {	class="wikitable" !Year !Wild{{Cite web	title = Animal Info – Giant Panda	url = http://www.animalinfo.org/species/carnivor/ailumela.htm#Population	website = www.animalinfo.org	accessdate = 2015-09-02}} !Change !Captivity !Change !Total !Change
1976
1,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
-
1985
800–1,200
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
-
1987
>1,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
-
1994
1,200
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
-
1995
1,000
−200
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
-
2003
1,596
+596
164{{Cite news	title = China's panda population increases by 17 per cent, major census finds	date = 28 February 2015	url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/11441960/Chinas-panda-population-increases-by-17-per-cent-major-census-finds.html	accessdate = 2015-09-02	last1 = Davison	first1 = Nicola}}
n/a
1,760
n/a
-
2012
n/a
n/a
341{{Cite web	title = Summary – Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) Fact Sheet, 2001 – ResearchGuides at International Environment Library Consortium	url = http://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/giantpanda	website = ielc.libguides.com	accessdate = 2015-09-02	first = Melody	last = Brooks}}
+178
n/a
n/a
-
2013
1,864{{Cite web	title = How many are left in the wild?	url = http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/giant_panda/panda/how_many_are_left_in_the_wild_population/	website = wwf.panda.org	accessdate = 2015-09-02}}
+268
375{{Cite web	title = Panda Census 2013 {{!}} Wild Panda Population Increases to 1,864 {{!}} Pandas International	url = http://www.pandasinternational.org/wptemp/panda-census-2013-wild-panda-population-increases-to-1864/	website = www.pandasinternational.org	accessdate = 2015-09-02}}
+34
2,239
+479
}

=== Reference in medicine === The [[Face of the Giant Panda Sign]] is an [[MRI]] sign in patients with [[Wilson's disease]], named for the midbrain's resemblance to a giant panda's face.

==See also== {{Portal|Mammals}} [[List of giant pandas]] [[Panda tea]] [[Pygmy giant panda]] [[Wildlife of China]] *[[List of endangered and protected species of China]]

==References== ;Notes {{Reflist}}

;Bibliography

AFP (via [[Discovery Channel]]) (2006, 20 June). [https://web.archive.org/web/20070325105323/http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2006/06/20/panda_ani.html?category=animals&guid=20060620103030&dcitc=w19-502-ak-0000 Panda Numbers Exceed Expectations].
Associated Press (via [[CNN]]) (2006). [https://web.archive.org/web/20060111121511/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/01/06/china.taiwan.ap/index.html Article link].
Catton, Chris (1990). ''Pandas''. Christopher Helm.
Friends of the National Zoo (2006). ''Panda Cam: A Nation Watches Tai Shan the Panda Cub Grow''. New York: Fireside Books.
Goodman, Brenda (2006, 12 February). [https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/12/national/12panda.html Pandas Eat Up Much of Zoos' Budgets]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. *{{Cite book |last1=Lumpkin |first1=Susan |last2=Seidensticker |first2=John |title=Giant Pandas |publisher=Collins |location=London |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-06-120578-1 |ref=harv |url=https://archive.org/details/giantpandas0000seid }} (An earlier edition is available as ''The Smithsonian Book of Giant Pandas'', Smithsonian Institution Press, 2002, {{ISBN|1-58834-013-9}}.)
[https://web.archive.org/web/20061219071409/http://www.wwfchina.org/english/pandacentral/htm/wwf_at_work/panda_survey/q%26a.htm Panda Facts At a Glance] (N.d.). ''www.wwfchina.org''. WWF China.
Ryder, Joanne (2001). ''Little panda: The World Welcomes Hua Mei at the San Diego Zoo''. New York: Simon & Schuster.
{{Cite book |last=Schaller|first= George B. |year=1993|title=The Last Panda|place= Chicago|publisher=University of Chicago Press|url =https://archive.org/details/lastpanda00scha|url-access=registration|isbn=0-226-73628-8 |ref=harv }} (There are also several later reprints)
{{cite journal | doi = 10.1644/BRB-226.1 | last1 = Wan | first1 = Qiu-Hong | last2 = Wu | first2 = Hua | last3 = Fang | first3 = Sheng-Guo | year = 2005 | title = A New Subspecies of Giant Panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca'') from Shaanxi, China | journal=Journal of Mammalogy | volume = 86 | pages = 397–402 | issue = 2 |jstor=4094359 | ref = harv | doi-access = free }}
Warren, Lynne (July 2006). "Panda, Inc." ''National Geographic''. (About Mei Xiang, Tai Shan and the Wolong Panda Research Facility in Chengdu China).

==External links== {{Commons and category|Giant panda|Ailuropoda melanoleuca}} {{Wikispecies|Ailuropoda melanoleuca}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20121221090507/http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Giant_Panda BBC Nature:] Giant panda news, and video clips from BBC programmes past and present. [http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1755621.htm Panda Pioneer: the release of the first captive-bred panda 'Xiang Xiang' in 2006] [https://web.archive.org/web/20080704204350/http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/our_solutions/endangered_species/giant_panda/index.cfm WWF] – environmental conservation organization [http://www.pandasinternational.org/ Pandas International] – panda conservation group [http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/ National Zoo Live Panda Cams] – Baby Panda Tai Shan and mother Mei Xiang [http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ailuropoda_melanoleuca.html Information from Animal Diversity] *[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13746175 NPR News 2007/08/20 – Panda Romance Stems From Bamboo]

View the [http://www.ensembl.org/Ailuropoda_melanoleuca/Info/Index/ panda genome] on [[Ensembl]].
[http://biowikifarm.net/v-mfn/panda/en Texts and pictures of the Panda exhibition at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Giant Panda}} [[Category:Giant pandas| ]] [[Category:Mammals of East Asia]] [[Category:Mammals of China]] [[Category:Endemic fauna of China]] [[Category:Clawed herbivores]] [[Category:Herbivorous mammals]] [[Category:EDGE species]] [[Category:Vulnerable animals]] [[Category:Vulnerable fauna of Asia]] [[Category:Articles containing video clips]] [[Category:Species endangered by agricultural development]] [[Category:Species endangered by logging]] [[Category:Mammals described in 1869]] [[Category:Taxa named by Armand David]]

dzikoysk / advent-of-code

hello panda no work #16