Giant Pandas
Giant pandas, with their black eyepatches and black and white fur, are a much-loved
animal across the world. Pandas are mammals and belong to the bear family. Their
scientific name is Ailuropoda melanoleuca.
Appearance
The panda’s black and white colouring enables them to be well camouflaged amongst
the snow, rocks and bamboo plants. They have five digits plus a special thumb on
each front paw, which means they can grip the bamboo in the same way a human
can grip with their hand. An adult giant panda can grow to about 1.5 metres in
length. Male pandas can weigh up to 150kg when fully grown, while females weigh
up to 100kg.
Habitat
Pandas are only found in China. They mainly live in the mountains in the south-west.
This area is temperate, which means the temperature does not change much and it
is neither very hot, nor very cold. The cool, wet forests are where pandas make their
dens out of hollowed-out logs or tree stumps. Pandas prefer to live alone rather than
in groups. There are approximately 1800 pandas in the wild and 600 pandas living in
zoos around the world. All giant pandas are owned by China. Pandas living anywhere
else in the world are on loan from China. Two pandas called Wang Wang and Fu Ni
are looked after by the Adelaide Zoo in South Australia.
Diet
A panda is a mammal that lives on an omnivore diet which
means they eat meat and plants. As a panda's main source of
food comes from bamboo, they have to limit their energy use. To
make sure they get enough nutrients from the bamboo, pandas
usually choose the best plant to eat. They often consume the
more tender parts of bamboo as it provides more nutrients and
less fiber. Pandas will eat around 20kg of bamboo every day.
Sometimes they will eat fish, fruit, insects
or birds if not enough bamboo is available.
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Giant Pandas
Reproduction
Female pandas give birth every two to three years. They give birth to one or two
cubs, usually in August. Panda cubs are born pink, weigh 90-130g and are about
as long as a pencil. The babies cannot see until they are about 50 days old and
they begin crawling at 10 weeks. They drink only their mother’s milk until they
are about seven months old, and then they begin to eat bamboo.
Problems
Pandas are considered a vulnerable species. This means they are likely to become
endangered unless more is done to protect their habitat. Their main threat is the
cutting down of forests to build dams, railways and roads. They were previously
classed as endangered, but in recent years, they have been downgraded to
‘vulnerable.’ This is because panda numbers are finally on the rise after years
of falling.
Fun Facts
• Pandas are excellent climbers and can also swim.
• Unlike other bears, pandas don’t hibernate
• In their habitat, pandas mark their territory by excreting a scent and
spreading it using their tail which is up to 15cm long.
• Pandas don't have many natural predators, so they're known to
sleep on the forest floor. This is sometimes next to a tree or even on a
branch. Pandas spend most of their life eating and only sleep for up to
four hours.
• Pandas have vertical slits for pupils – their eyes look just like a cat
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Giant Pandas Questions
1. Which of the following facts about giant pandas are not mentioned in the article?
there are now more than 1800 of them in the wild
captive pandas can live for 30 years or longer
their diet is made up of bamboo
they are omnivores
2. What makes the paw of the panda special?
3. Look at the sentence: The new shoots and leaves of the bamboo are the most nutritious
part. Which of the following words could be used as a synonym for ‘nutritious’?
delicious
unhealthy
nourishing
tasty
4. Draw lines to match the words to their meaning.
endangered Contains many of the
substances needed to stay
healthy
habitat At risk of becoming
endangered
nutritious The place a plant or animal
lives
vulnerable At serious risk of going
extinct
omnivore Eats meat and plants
5. Find and copy one word which tells you that pandas eat parts of bamboo that
provide the most nutrients.
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Giant Pandas Questions
6. Are there any pandas in Australia? Explain
7. Why are pandas now listed as vulnerable?
8. Why is it becoming difficult for pandas to survive in the wild?
9. Why might it be surprising that the giant panda became endangered?
10. Summarise what you have learnt about giant pandas using 25 words or fewer.
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Giant Pandas Answers
1. Which of the following facts about giant pandas are not mentioned in the article?
there are now more than 1800 of them in the wild.
captive pandas can live for 30 years or longer
their diet is made up of bamboo.
they are omnivores.
2. What makes the paw of the panda special?
They have a special thumb that can help them hold bamboo when they eat.
3. Look at the sentence: The new shoots and leaves of the bamboo are the most nutritious
part. Which of the following words could be used as a synonym for ‘nutritious’?
delicious
unhealthy
nourishing
tasty
4.
1. Draw lines to match the words to their meaning.
endangered Contains many of the
substances needed to stay
healthy
habitat At risk of becoming
endangered
nutritious The place a plant or animal
lives
vulnerable At serious risk of going
extinct
omnivore Eats meat and plants
5. Find and copy one word which tells you that pandas eat parts of bamboo that
provide the most nutrients.
consume
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Giant Pandas Answers
6. Are there any pandas in Australia? Explain
Yes-There are two pandas that are looked after by the Adelaide Zoo (Wang Wang
and Fu Ni).
7. Why are pandas now listed as vulnerable?
The panda population has been increasing so it was downgraded from
‘endangered’ to ‘vulnerable’.
8. Why is it becoming difficult for pandas to survive in the wild?
Land is being taken by humans. They have less habitat.
9. Why might it be surprising that the giant panda became endangered?
Answers may vary but could include:
Pandas don't have many natural predators.
There has been lots of effort to protect them.
10. Summarise what you have learnt about giant pandas using 25 words or fewer.
Answers will vary
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