Bamboo panda. Giant panda - the mysterious bamboo bear

Where do pandas live? Surely many will answer: of course, in China. But China huge country, but seeing a panda there is far from easy.

The places where pandas live are primarily due to the fact that pandas, although classified as predators, are actually herbivores. In addition, they do not eat any plant food, but only one plant - bamboo.

Of the several hundred types of bamboo, the panda uses only a few, which grow exactly where pandas live.

A very rare animal that many people have never seen with their own eyes, except perhaps on a TV screen or on the Internet. And this is not surprising, because there are now just over one and a half thousand pandas left on earth, and for most it is simply impossible to get to those places where pandas live in natural conditions. While other rare animals can be seen in zoos, you can only see the panda in a few, the largest zoos in the world. And all this is due to the fact that the panda is not an ordinary animal, it is a predator that eats bamboo and does not recognize other food. For unknown reasons, many centuries ago pandas switched to plant foods. Why exactly bamboo is difficult to answer, but most likely it was bamboo that was more accessible to pandas in their places of residence. And although bamboo subtropical plant, found on many continents, it was in southeast Asia that it received greatest distribution and these are exactly the places where pandas live.

Big panda quite a large animal, growing up to 150 kg. Although in appearance it resembles a real bear, being a herbivore, in general it is a rather peaceful animal. For this reason, the panda is very careful and chooses hard-to-reach places to live. But the panda constantly needs a lot of food, and since its main food is bamboo, its permanent habitat big panda these are bamboo forests on the slopes of the mountains. One of the most extensive areas where bamboo grows is the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau in southwest China. These are the provinces of China: Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Guizhou and part of the Tibet Autonomous Region. These places were chosen by these bamboo bears and lived here for hundreds and thousands of years. This region central China with large areas of bamboo forests, it has become the world's only habitat for the giant panda.

China's population is constantly growing, and at such a pace that the Chinese need new territories. Over the past half century, the population has increased so much that these inaccessible regions where pandas live have begun to be developed. More or less flat areas in these provinces began to be cleared, bamboo forests were cut down, and the freed land was turned into fields, towns and cities; forests in mountainous areas were cut down. In China, bamboo has long been used as a material for construction, furniture and household utensils, which were used mainly by local residents. In places where bamboo grows, work was constantly carried out to harvest bamboo and, despite the fact that bamboo grows very quickly, bamboo forests did not have time to recover and their areas were catastrophically reduced. And for a normal existence, only one pair of pandas needs an area of ​​​​about three thousand hectares of bamboo forest.

With the advent of nanotechnology, new materials began to be produced from bamboo: bamboo laminate, Decoration Materials, filler, textiles, which have gained recognition all over the world as natural and non-allergic substitutes for the once popular synthetic ones. This increased the demand for bamboo, and a bamboo harvesting boom began in China. The bamboo thickets began to disappear before our eyes and the panda's living space began to shrink catastrophically. Pandas living in natural environment began to move higher into the mountains and further from people, their numbers began to quickly decrease.

To preserve the numbers of this rare animal, the Chinese government began to take effective measures. In 1998, a law was passed to stop deforestation and create nature reserves and national parks. True, this is not a single area, but consists of separate enclaves, and sometimes problems arise due to the fact that in some reserves there is a decrease in the growth of bamboo, and the pandas living there experience a lack of food, but nevertheless it produced results. The number of pandas began to increase, albeit gradually. In addition, protecting forests saves China's ecosystem from destruction. So at the source of the Yangtze River, one of the most important Chinese water arteries, the quality of water has increased significantly, and the creation of ecological tourism has become a good source of income for the population living in the mountains, who previously made money from harvesting bamboo.

China is the only country in the world where the bamboo bear lives, its peculiar national symbol, along with the Great Wall of China. The black and white panda no longer lives in natural conditions in any country. And in China you can see a panda in almost only one place. After the earthquake in 2008 severely damaged the most large nature reserve Wolong pandas, in Sichuan province, the bulk of the pandas were transported to a research center for panda breeding, not far from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan. Over time, this center in the Bifengxia area of ​​Ya'an town turned into the world's largest panda zoo.

This center has all the conditions for living and breeding of these animals. Pandas are not kept in enclosures, as is usually the case in zoos, but almost in natural conditions in large areas where special structures made of logs have been built where pandas can have fun. The center has special services: a kind of “ kindergarten» for babies, hospital, laboratory, science Center and a museum. Pandas are fed cut bamboo harvested from the mountains and various food additives. Today, this center is home to the largest population of pandas in the world.

Of course, you can see a panda live without traveling to China. Since the panda is a very interesting animal, people have long tried to catch them and keep them in zoos, although this was quite a difficult task. In 1959, there were only 7 pandas in zoos around the world, 5 of which were in Beijing Zoo and one each in Moscow Zoo and the Zoological Society of London Zoo. Now they are in many zoos around the world. For a large fee, according to some sources, a million dollars a year, the Chinese lease pandas to famous zoos: Schönbrunn Zoo in Austria; Atlanta Zoo in the USA; Adelaide Zoo in Australia; Madrid Zoo in Spain; Edinburgh Zoo in the UK; River Safari in Singapore; Memphis Zoo in the USA; Ocean Park in Hong Kong; San Diego Zoo in the USA; Smithsonian National Zoo in the USA; Berlin Zoo in Germany; a zoo in Chiang Mai in Thailand; Taipei Zoo in Taiwan; Ueno Zoo in Japan; Toronto Zoo, Canada; Beauval Zoo in France; Mexico City Zoo in Mexico; Shirahama amusement park in Japan.

There are no pandas in Russian zoos now, but in the fifties of the last century there were pandas in the Moscow Zoo. The first panda came to Russia in 1955. According to more reliable sources, it was a fairly young individual, a male, and at that time he weighed only 20 kg, that is, he was very young. According to customs in China, each panda has a name, ours was called Pin Pin. They created quite decent conditions for him, but there were problems with food. Bamboo does not grow in the Moscow region; it had to be delivered by plane from Abkhazia, so in addition to bamboo, he was accustomed to local food. Per day, Pin-Pin received: 500 bamboo shoots with leaves, 2 kg of oatmeal or rice porridge with milk, 2 eggs, 400 grams of fruit juice, 3-4 carrots, tea with sugar and birch or willow branches. Pin Pin lived until 1961 and died at the age of 6 years. Probably the reason early death there were improper living and feeding conditions, he ate a lot and moved little, in the spring of 1960 his weight reached 185 kilograms.

In 1959, they purchased another An-An panda and wanted to create a pair, but it turned out to be also a male. An An was also fed a little bamboo, but his main food was: porridge, fruits, vegetables, sweet tea, and instead of bamboo, birch, willow and linden brooms. Oddly enough, he got used to this food and grew quite normally. Its weight reached more than 150 kg, and it was about 1.5 meters in length. He lived until 1972 and died at the age of 15.

Zoologists have repeatedly tried to obtain offspring in captivity. And Chinese specialists have begun to succeed. They decided to do this in Europe as well. There was a female panda at the Zoological Society of London Zoo named Chi-Chi. In 1966, the leadership of the Zoological Society of London suggested that the Moscow Zoo try to connect the female Chi-Chi with the male An-An. The English panda was brought to Moscow by plane and tried to be brought together with An-An. But friendship did not work out. Moreover, both pandas showed great aggression towards each other, started real fights with each other, and had to be separated, sometimes even with the help of fire hoses and gun shots. Six months were fruitless and Chi-Chi was taken back to London. In 1968, they tried to repeat the experiment, this time An-An was taken to London, where he spent six months, but also to no avail, the pandas could not find a common language.

After this, Russians were able to see live pandas only in 2001, when, during the Beijing Culture Days in Moscow, two pandas were brought to the Moscow Zoo. For this purpose, a special agreement was concluded between the parties, which stipulated all aspects of the delivery and maintenance of pandas. They were accompanied by Chinese specialists, and insurance was taken out for a huge amount just in case. The pandas, four-year-old male Ben-Ben and nine-year-old female Wen-Wen, stayed at the Moscow Zoo for only two months. There were twice as many visitors to the Moscow Zoo these days as usual, and on Sunday it was almost impossible to get there at all. By the way, both pandas that visited Russia were born in the Beijing Zoo. Their names are also not arbitrary: the 9-year-old female panda Wen-Wen received her name in honor of the director of the zoo, Comrade Wen, and the male Ben-Ben, which means Bull in Chinese, was named so because he was born in the year of the Ox. They were kept in different enclosures.

Now a special “China” pavilion is being built at the Moscow Zoo, in which, as the press promises, black-and-white and red pandas from Chengdu will live. It has not yet been announced under what conditions the pandas will be transferred, but in any case, soon Muscovites and guests of the capital will be able to see these amazing animals with their own eyes.

The panda, or bamboo bear, is a cute and cute animal that differs from its other counterparts in its kind of unusual color. Although not all zoologists classify the panda as a member of the bear family. Its length can be up to one and a half meters, and its weight can be up to one hundred and sixty kilograms. Thick and short paws with sharp, long claws help the bear climb trees and stay on the smooth trunks of bamboo, which it feeds on.
The panda has two features that distinguish it from other animals: a long tail and color. Tail bamboo bear can reach twelve centimeters. The entire body of the bear is covered with thick white fur. Only the paws, spots around the eyes and the so-called “collar” across the shoulders and neck are black.


Pandas are solitary animals. They do not flock and do not live in groups. Females and males converge only in mating season. When a baby is born - usually one, sometimes twins are born - the mother raises him until a certain age, then leaves. Unlike brown bears, bamboo do not hibernate, this is not typical for them. The bear spends almost all his time eating - he chews bamboo shoots 10-12 hours a day.


This animal is listed in the Red Book. Zoologists discovered it not so long ago - only in the 19th century. Therefore, we have studied the panda’s habits and lifestyle so far only superficially. This rare animal is quite secretive and timid; it loves to live in captivity and prefers to hide from humans if they invade its territory. Panda lives in western regions China, the Tibetan mountains and Sichuan.

Updated: 02/26/2016

The giant panda is a member of the Bear family. These funny bears will make you smile! In this article you will find a detailed description and photo of a giant panda, and you will be able to learn a lot of new and fascinating things about the life of this rare animal.

Externally, a panda looks like a bear. But the main difference between a giant panda and a bear is its unusual coloring and the presence of a tail. The color of the panda is unique. The giant panda has black ears, paws and shoulders, black spots near the eyes, while the rest of the fur is completely white. That's why the panda is also called the spotted bear.

The panda looks huge, has a massive body, thick fur, short wide legs with strong claws and a rather long tail. The paws are well adapted for climbing trees.

The panda's head is massive and has large ears. Pandas also have very powerful jaws with large teeth, which allows them to easily chew even the toughest plant stems. With all these combinations, the panda animal looks very cute and resembles a large teddy bear.

The body length of a panda can reach from 120 to 180 cm. Average length is 160 cm. The height at the withers ranges from 65-85 cm. The tail length is 10-12 cm. The weight of adult individuals varies from 70 to 125 kg, but can reach 150 kg. Males are predominantly larger than females.

The spotted panda bear has unusual front paws with six toes. This paw structure allows it to handle young and thin shoots of plants. The soles have pads that help hold the smooth tree stems.

The giant panda lives in the mountainous regions of central China, the forests of Tibet and Sichuan province. This is the only place on the planet where pandas live in their natural environment. The panda lives in dense impenetrable bamboo forests, at an altitude of 1.5 to 4.5 km. This is the main habitat of the giant panda.

The natural conditions of the area where the giant panda lives have a pronounced change of seasons. But the panda's thick fur protects it from extreme conditions weather. When there is significant bad weather, pandas sometimes take refuge in hollow trees, rock crevices and caves.

The bamboo thickets in which the giant panda lives reach a height of 3-4 meters and provide the spotted bear with reliable shelter and food.

Panda behavior

Pandas lead a very secretive lifestyle. They keep themselves mostly alone, except during breeding seasons and raising offspring. Each panda has its own territory and defends it.

Pandas are terrestrial animals, but are also good climbers and are capable of swimming. In cold weather, the panda is passive. Pandas do not hibernate in winter, unlike other bears.

In isolated cases, a panda bear can attack a person. Pandas only show aggression if they are teased or there is a threat to their offspring. Thanks to the panda's increased caution and secretive lifestyle, it is very rare that a person manages to encounter it in wildlife.

The giant panda's paws are well adapted and help them climb high into trees. A panda climbs a tree for different purposes. To explore the surroundings, play, relax and lie on the branches.

The animal is excellent at climbing trees and getting into even the most inaccessible places. The panda seems clumsy, but it's not. The animal's joints are very flexible and allow it to perform various gymnastic tricks.

Pandas are usually silent animals, preferring silence and are very cautious. But they can make unusual sounds during mating season and during social interactions. The lifespan of a giant panda in nature is on average 16-20 years.

What do pandas eat?

Pandas eat bamboo stems and leaves. This is their main and most favorite food. That's why the giant panda is called the bamboo bear.

While eating, the panda holds the bamboo stalk in its paw using its sixth finger. It's actually a growth on one of the paw bones. With its help, pandas can hold objects in their paws, successfully climb trees, grab branches and perform other actions that are uncharacteristic of ordinary bears.

This adaptation of the paws makes it possible to easily and dexterously cope with flexible bamboo stems. When eating, pandas adopt an upright posture, with their front paws remaining free, which helps them better manage food.

Pandas are carnivorous animals, but they only eat bamboo. An adult panda eats up to 35 kg of bamboo and shoots per day. The panda's esophagus and stomach are adapted to protect against bamboo slivers.

After eating, pandas fall asleep and wake up hungry again. Since the food is poorly nutritious and monotonous, it is difficult to digest. Therefore, pandas are forced to chew most of their waking hours, which is up to 14 hours a day.

Pandas conserve their energy reserves. In this regard, they travel little and only when nearby food resources are depleted.

Pandas are also known to eat eggs, small birds, small animals and some insects, despite the fact that pandas love bamboo. Animal food is a source of protein that pandas need.

Pandas also love to drink ice-cold fresh water from mountain streams and rivers. Although giant pandas get much of their water from bamboo, they need more water. Therefore, the bamboo panda bear comes to his favorite sources every day.

To give birth to cubs, the female builds a den. Choosing for this purpose highland forests on steep slopes that provide shelter in the bamboo thickets. The giant panda's first breeding season begins between the ages of 4 and 8 years. The mating season lasts from March to May, with females becoming more vocal. The rest of the time, pandas lead a solitary lifestyle.

A panda's pregnancy lasts from 90 to 160 days, with an average of about 130 days. Childbirth takes place in a den and 1-2 cubs are born.

A panda cub weighs 100-130 g, with a body length of 15-17 cm. The body of a newborn cub is covered with a thin layer of fur, under which pink skin with black spots is visible.

Panda cubs are born blind and helpless. It is difficult to recognize the future owner of the bamboo forests in a small and defenseless creature. But panda bear cubs grow quickly. Panda cubs' eyes open at 3 weeks of age. Breastfeeding continues for about 46 weeks.

Panda cubs make loud noises so that their mother hears them and does not crush them. Females often give birth to twins. But, unfortunately, the mother chooses to raise one, stronger baby. The second dies unattended. Pandas breed once every 2 years. Therefore, the growth of panda numbers is very slow.

Reproduction of pandas in captivity is extremely rare. But when two panda bear cubs are born in zoos, only one baby is left near the female. And the second one is taken away and replaced with the first one every few days. So in a cunning way, manages to feed both babies with nutritious mother's milk.

The female panda devotes herself entirely to little cub, surrounding him with warmth and care. The mother feeds the cub up to 14 times a day and nurses it, rocking it in her large paws.

Mothers often play with their grown cubs. Cubs stay with their mothers for one and a half to three years.

The panda is considered a very rare animal and is listed in the Red Book with the status of “vulnerable species.” Due to the small population and low birth rate, today there are just over 2 thousand individuals living in the wild.

The giant panda is a symbol of China and is protected by the state. There is a death penalty for killing an animal in China.

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Understanding the origin of the word "panda" is not a simple problem. The first mention of the giant panda in literature occurred more than 3,000 years ago in the Book of History and the Book of Songs (the earliest collection of Chinese poetry), which referred to the creature as pi and pixiu.

It was a long time ago. A family of Chinese shepherds settled on the slope of a mountain. Every morning they took out a flock of sheep to graze near the bamboo thickets. And a little panda came out of the forest to play with the sheep, because they were as white as him.
One day a huge leopard attacked a flock of sheep.
The sheep ran away, and the panda could not run fast. And he would not have escaped death, but the young shepherdess was not at a loss and began to beat the leopard with a stick.
She drove off the evil beast, but she herself received many wounds. And the brave shepherdess died. When the other pandas learned that the girl gave her life for their fellow panda, they began to cry bitterly and sprinkle themselves with ashes.
Crying, the pandas rubbed their eyes and covered their ears so as not to hear the echoes of universal grief. Consoling each other, they held their paws and sobbed. Since then, the snow-white skins of pandas have turned black, but not entirely, but only on the eyes, ears and paws.

The animal later appeared in Er Ya, the first Chinese dictionary; in the Classics of Seas and Mountains, a famous book on geography; and in Annotated Readings from the Book of Songs. These books gave the panda three new names - mo, zhi yi and bai hu - and described the creature as a white fox, a white leopard, and an animal like a tiger or polar bear. As if the identity of this bamboo lover wasn't already confused enough, the giant panda was also given new names in later literature as meng shi shou (predator), bai bao (white leopard), shi ti shou (iron-eating animal), and zhu xiong (bamboo bear). ). To this day, the Chinese name for the giant panda is still a matter of debate. Is it a banded bear (huaxiong), a cat bear (maoxiong), a bear-like cat (xiongmao), or a great panda (daxiongmao)?

pandas, common name two species of Asian mammals of the carnivorous order, somewhat similar to each other in appearance and lifestyle, but belonging to different families. The giant panda, or bamboo bear (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), reaches a length of 1.5 m, not counting the tail (another 12.5 cm), and a weight of 160 kg. The animal has a very characteristic pattern: black or dark brown ears, “glasses” around the eyes, nose, lips and limbs, including the shoulder “yoke”, and the rest of the body is white, sometimes with a reddish tint. This species is found in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi, where it lives in dense thickets of bamboo among coniferous forests on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Usually observed at altitudes of 2700–3900 m above sea level, although in winter it sometimes descends to 800 m above sea level. Since the second half of the 20th century, the panda has become something of a national emblem of China. The giant panda feeds almost exclusively on bamboo, sometimes including other plants in its diet, such as irises and saffron, and even small mammals type of rodents. Usually the animal feeds in a sitting position for 10–12 hours a day, holding bamboo shoots with the “prethumbs” and the first two toes of the front paws, peeling the hard outer layer from the plants with its teeth, and then slowly chewing the peeled stem. This species is on the verge of extinction and is listed in the International Red Book. According to existing estimates, in the mid-1990s there were no more than 1,000 of its individuals left in the wild. Although killing a giant panda carries the death penalty in China, poaching appears to be its main threat. Local peasants kill animals for their fur, and some individuals die in poachers’ traps set for musk deer. Systematic position The giant panda has been controversial for many years: it was classified as a member of the families of raccoons (Procyonidae), bears (Ursidae) or allocated to a special family of pandas (Ailuropodidae). However, molecular analysis, which included a comparison of proteins and DNA of this species and the named groups of carnivores, fully confirmed its proximity to bears, assumed on the basis of anatomical and paleontological data. The ancestors of the giant panda separated from the evolutionary line that led to their modern species 15–25 million years ago, so it was decided to separate it into a special subfamily Ailuropodinae of the bear family.

Red panda (lat. Ailurus fulgens - "cat colored like fire", also known as little panda, “cat-bear”, “fire cat” - an animal of the little panda family, mainly a herbivore, slightly larger in size than a cat. Systematic position of the red panda for a long time it was unclear. It was classified either as a raccoon family, or as a bear family, or as a separate family. However, recent genetic studies have shown that the red panda forms its own family, Ailluridae, which, together with the families of raccoons, skunks and mustelids, forms the superfamily Musteloidea. Body length 51-64 cm, tail 28-48 cm, weighs 3-4.5 kg. The body is elongated, the tail is fluffy, the head is wide, with a short sharp muzzle and large pointed ears. Has 38 teeth. The paws are short, strong, with semi-retractable claws. The fur of the red panda is red or hazel on top, dark, reddish-brown or black below. The hair on the back has yellow tips. The paws are glossy black, the tail is red, with inconspicuous lighter narrow rings, the head is light, and the edges of the ears and muzzle are almost white, and near the eyes there is a pattern in the form of a mask. In my own way appearance The red panda is closest to the kinkajou. Written mentions of this beast in China go back to the 13th century, but Europeans learned about it only in the 19th century. It was officially “discovered” in 1821 by the English general and naturalist Thomas Hardwicke, who collected material on the territory of the English colonies. He suggested calling this animal the word “wha” - one of its Chinese names, based on the imitation of the sounds made by the animal. In addition, the general said, the Chinese call it “hun-ho” and “poonya”, from which the modern panda is derived. However, the Latin name is Ailurus fulgens (brilliant cat), the new animal was given by the French naturalist Frederic Cuvier. The habitat of the red panda is limited to the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan in China, northern Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and northeast India. It is not found west of Nepal. Lives in mountain bamboo forests at an altitude of 2000-4000 m above sea level in conditions temperate climate. The ancestors of today's pandas were much more widespread; their remains are found in Eastern Europe, and in North America.

However, these animals were obviously adapted to a certain type of climate, with the change of which their range sharply decreased. The red panda leads a predominantly nocturnal (or rather, crepuscular) lifestyle, sleeping in a hollow during the day, curled up and covering its head with its tail. In case of danger, it also climbs trees. On the ground, pandas move slowly and awkwardly, but they climb trees well, but nevertheless they feed mainly on the ground. Although the red panda is a member of the order of carnivores, 95% of its diet consists of young leaves and shoots of bamboo. The remaining 5% are various fruits, berries, mushrooms, bird eggs and even small rodents. Unlike the giant panda, the small panda is very selective in its diet. If the “bamboo bear” eats almost all parts of the bamboo, the red panda looks for softer shoots. Observations have shown that red pandas spend 13 hours a day feeding. When calm, red pandas make short sounds reminiscent of bird chirping. The red panda has a peaceful character and easily takes root in captivity. Pandas live in pairs or families in forests. The “personal” territory of the female, as recent studies show, occupies an area of ​​about 2.5 km?, the male - twice as much. The breeding season for pandas begins in January. Between mating and childbirth, the female takes from 90 to 145 days, of which only 50 days account for the actual development of the embryo, since fetal development does not begin immediately after conception, but after a fairly long time, called diapause. Shortly before giving birth, the female builds a nest of branches and leaves in a hollow or cleft in a rock. In a litter of 1-2, occasionally there are 4 blind cubs, but rarely more than one survives. They sometimes stay with their mother for a whole year, until a new litter. Although the habitat of the red panda occupies a very large territory And natural enemies she has little, this species is included in the lists of the International Red Book with the status “Endangered”. The fact is that the density of animals in nature is very low, and, in addition, the habitats of the red panda can easily be destroyed. Fortunately, the red panda breeds well in captivity. Currently, about 300 of these animals are kept in 85 zoos around the world, and the same number have been born in captivity over the past two decades.

The spotted bear, captivating with his good-natured smile, clumsy manner of eating bamboo, funny movements and sweet eyes, has long become a favorite of adults and children.

The giant panda in his black and white “fur coat” looks very attractive. It is considered one of the most ancient animals in the world and is currently on the verge of extinction. Giant pandas live exclusively in high mountains and in the deep valleys of the upper Yangtze River. They feed on leaves and young shoots of bamboo. Due to continuous deterioration natural environment, which led to the flowering of monocarpic bamboo species and their widespread death, the number of giant pandas living in the wild is significantly reduced. Currently, there are only about 1,000 of them worldwide.

A few facts about pandas: The giant panda's special diet is very unusual among mammals. Only a handful of animals depend so heavily on bamboo, including the red panda, bamboo lemurs (golden bamboo lemur, greater bamboo lemur, and bamboo lemur (Hapalemur griseus)) found in Madagascar, and bamboo rats (including Rhizomys sinensis, R. pruinosus, and R. .sumatrensis), found in China and South-East Asia. (Roberts 1992).

Bamboo varieties typically reproduce using lateral shoots underground. Periodically, bamboo reproduces in another way - by flowering, often over a wide area, producing seeds and then dying. Generally it takes 2 to 3 years before new shoots emerge from the seeds. Between 1974 and 1976, umbrella bamboo (Fargesia), and other bamboo species on which pandas depend, became extinct across large areas of northern Sichuan and China. As a result, at least 138 pandas died. (Schaller et al. 1985)

Although poaching giant pandas was punishable by death by the late 1980s, the financial reward for selling a giant panda skin was so high (more than the lifetime income of the average peasant) that even the death penalty did not seem to be a deterrent: "Even though I risked my life, it was worth it" - this quote from a poacher caught by the police. - "If you hadn't caught me, I would have been rich." (Schaller 1993)

In 1995, a Chinese farmer who shot and killed a giant panda and tried to sell its skin was sentenced to life in prison. (Oryx 1995q).

"Local residents hunted pandas a lot until 1949... last years However, most people have realized the rarity and value of the panda, now realizing that the panda is a national treasure, they are helping rather than killing it. When, for example, a sick adult panda came into the community in October 1978, the family fed it sugar beets and rice until it left three days later" (Schaller 1985).

The story of this non-bear is very interesting and even romantic. In the second half of the last century, an event occurred in the circles of zoologists and naturalists that alarmed even venerable scientists in many countries. An original colored skin of a large animal, similar at first glance to a bear, was delivered to the Natural History Museum in Paris. But when they spread it on the floor, they thought that it had been sewn by a skilled craftsman from large scraps of black and white animal fur. Mystery! The skin was thoroughly examined, turned over in the hands this way and that, but no traces of cutting and sewing, gluing or other fastening were found. What kind of skin is this? - the scientists thought. Maybe it belongs to an extinct animal? But some experts objected and believed that the fur on the skin was cleverly etched or dyed, but in reality it was a bear. But who and where obtained and delivered this mystery skin to Paris? In 1869, French missionary Armand David traveled to China. In addition to your religious activities, he, being a naturalist, simultaneously collected information about the animal world of the country and acquired interesting exhibits. In one of the remote villages of Sichuan province, he discovered this strange skin on the fence of a house. David acquired it after local residents told him that it belonged to a real beast that lived in the vicinity of the village, high in the mountains among bamboo thickets. The name of the animal is "bei-shung", which roughly translates to "white mountain bear". A. David managed to send the skin to Paris, and he continued the search for the owner of the skin. He got lucky. In the same year, he purchased a killed bei-shung from hunters, processed it and sent it to France with his hunting stories. This was 114 years ago. Having received the second skin and skeleton, scientists were able to draw conclusions. Due to its great external resemblance to an ordinary bear and the nature of its diet (A. David reported that bei-shungs feed mainly on bamboo), it was originally called a bamboo bear. However, having carefully studied the received materials, zoologists soon abandoned the hasty definition and, based on many morphological and anatomical features, classified the new animal as a member of the raccoon family and called it a giant panda. Big because earlier, in 1825, the red panda, an animal that lives in some areas of Asia, was added to the family. In appearance, it differs sharply from the newly minted one, and the small and large pandas are listed in their family in various kinds. Years passed, but the original name of the giant panda - bamboo bear - turned out to be tenacious, and it is often used in everyday life, since the external resemblance to a bear is undeniable. I must admit that when I first saw a live giant panda during a trip to China, I was also amazed by its appearance. Well straight away polar bear wearing large horn-rimmed glasses at an animal carnival, wearing a black vest, black gloves, stockings, and headphones. The discovery of an unusual beast, as usual, turned against him. Not only scientists, but also hunters of rare hunting trophies, hunters and traders of wild animals became interested in the panda. Many adventurers from Europe and the New World flocked to China. But getting to the giant pandas' habitats was extremely difficult. On the way of the hunters stood high mountains, impassable roads, dense forests, impenetrable thickets of bamboo, numerous water obstacles, mountain falls... With the help of local residents, the first giant panda was caught in 1916, but it quickly died. And only twenty years later, an American woman acquired a young panda and safely delivered her to the USA, to the city of San Francisco. Local hunters, as soon as they caught the animal, named it Su-Lin, which translated meant “a small piece of enormous value.” And this was true. The giant panda is the rarest animal in the world. It is common only in Chinese People's Republic. Now inhabits mountain forests at an altitude of up to two thousand meters above sea level and higher in Sichuan province. Perhaps it has also been preserved in unexplored, hard-to-reach places in Gansu province and a number of regions of Tibet. The first born in captivity, Su-Lin (it was a female), was exhibited in a number of US zoos. Some time later, after a long search, two adult pandas were again brought to the United States, and then several of these animals ended up in London. Until that time, there were no such animals in any of the zoos in the world. After the Second World War, the habitat areas of these rare animals were declared protected areas. Some research groups began to carefully study Beishungs to find out whether it is possible to keep and breed bamboo bears in captivity. The expeditions were successful. In 1957, the giant panda first settled in our country, in a special house on the territory of the Moscow Zoo. It was a large male named Pin-Pin. And in the summer of 1959, we managed to purchase a second copy, according to the plan, in pair with Pin-Ping. His name was An-An, but, unfortunately, he also turned out to be a male. So two handsome little boys lived with us in Moscow. In 1961, an Austrian businessman took to China large group African animals and exchanged her for a young female giant panda named Chi-Chi. With this zoological star, one of the prominent English zoologists named it so - the owner of Chi-Chi arrived in England, where he sold it to the London Zoological Society for huge money. In 1966, the British suggested that we reunite the Moscow gentleman An-An with Chi-Chi. We agreed, and the overseas bride arrived from London to Moscow on a special flight. It was housed in a transport “carriage” made of plexiglass, non-ferrous metals and plastic. This extraordinary guest was met by zoological scientists, representatives of our government agencies, employees of the capital's zoo, employees of the British embassy and a great many correspondents. One of them said jokingly: “I often visit the capital’s international airport as part of my work, but I have never met a single prime minister like this.” And indeed, there was a lot of noise. Chi-Chi lived at the Moscow Zoo for six months, but did not become friends with AnyAny, and was sent back. In 1968, the experiment was repeated. This time An-An flew to visit Chi-Chi. He lived in London for six months and also to no avail. But, as you know, every cloud has a silver lining: both meetings, although they did not give the desired result, helped us better understand the peculiarities of the biology of giant pandas. For example, no one suspected that animals that are good-natured in appearance and completely gentle in character can, under certain circumstances, be very aggressive. Sometimes fierce fights took place between our “informants”. It was necessary to separate them with fire hoses, blank shots from hunting rifles, and also use special pikes and shields made of thick plywood. When attacking and defending, the animals showed great dexterity and techniques typical of predators: grabbing the enemy with their front paws, powerful blows to the enemy’s head with their paws, rapid ramming with their entire body weight, grabbing with their teeth, and so on. It turned out that these usually silent animals have very loud voices. The excited Chi-Chi whined, and then made such sharp trumpet sounds that the glass in the windows next door shook. She even mooed, just like a cow. During meetings, the gentleman bleated like a sheep, squealed, and at critical moments of the fight he trumpeted and mooed.

For a long time, nothing was known about the reproduction of giant pandas, but in September 1963, in the Beijing Zoo, a female named Li-Li gave birth to a baby whose weight was 142 grams. He grew very quickly and by the age of five months he had gained ten kilograms. The baby was named Min-Min, that is, “brilliant, sparkling.” For the first ten days after birth, the female did not let him go even while eating. She tossed the two-month-old cub from paw to paw, playing with it like a doll. At three months old, the shiny one began to move independently - the mother would fall asleep, and he would go for a walk, but she quickly woke up, instantly found her child and spanked him with her paw. In September 1964, the same female gave birth to a second baby, and scientists were able to determine that giant pandas carry their cubs for approximately 140 days. Young pandas in captivity are very playful. They are good-natured, funny, move a lot, take the most unusual poses: - they can stand on their heads, helping themselves with their front paws, they tumble over their heads very well, they deftly climb grates and nets, ladders, ropes and poles . With their front paws they hold balls, enamel and aluminum bowls while waiting to be filled with food. They treat people without any hostility, but when playing and fussing, they have no sense of restraint; they can accidentally grab them with their teeth, scratch them with the claws of their front paws and press them against the wall. But at the same time, they are well tamed and quickly remember the nicknames given to them. Having reached three or four years of age, giant pandas become slower, they are no longer so trusting of people, and they have to be handled with caution. The beast is not small. The shoulder height of adult animals is up to seventy, and the body length is up to one hundred and seventy centimeters. Solid and weighty. An adult male who lived in the Moscow Zoo reached 185 kilograms by the age of twelve, and he was not overfed; this is strictly monitored at the zoo.

The "solidity" of adult pandas is expressed in their amazing poses. They can sit as if in a chair, leaning one of their front paws on a ledge and leaning their back against some object. In this position, they can take a nap or slowly do their toilet, or they simply clean the branches of brooms from leaves and slowly chew them. In nature, pandas are active at dawn and at night. The same was observed in the zoo. From about ten in the morning until four or five in the afternoon, most of the time the animals were in the shade, stretched out on the ground of the pen or on the floor of the cage, and dozed. With the onset of dusk, they became active, moved a lot, played, fed, and from the traces they left, we established that they were not idle even in the dark. Their fur coat is warm, outside temperature air down to minus ten degrees, our pets willingly walked in open enclosures, swam in the snow, and walked a lot with their characteristic waddling gait with a sort of shaking of their heads from side to side. We noticed that pandas are very clean. Most of the time they are silent, only occasionally making sounds similar to bleating. In the summer they do not like heavy rains, they hide from them in shelters, but after the rain they willingly wander through puddles and damp grass. But they refuse to swim in the pool, they just run in the shallow water, splashing themselves with splashes.

The giant panda has captivated the whole world with its touching appearance. 15 years ago, many experts predicted the extinction of giant pandas as bamboo forests in western China were rapidly being cut down. Currently, according to the most optimistic estimates, a little more than 1,500 animals have survived in natural conditions and the giant panda is officially listed in the Red Book. Serious steps are being taken to prevent its extinction and increase the number of animals. However, giant pandas are well known to zoologists for their low sexual activity, so there are huge problems with breeding them in captivity. Every giant panda born immediately becomes a star.

The giant panda has another name - bamboo bear. This mammal belongs to the bear family, but has some characteristics of raccoons. Lives in China and is its official symbol. This is one of the endangered animals; the panda is listed in the Red Book. Now only about 1,600 individuals live in natural conditions, and the same number are in zoos.

Panda

Beautiful legend

The charming black and white bear cub has earned fame and love all over the world. In China there is ancient legend, which explains the panda's coloring.

According to this legend, once upon a time, a family of shepherds settled on the slopes of the mountains. Every day, the shepherds took a flock of sheep to the pasture, where a little panda came to play with them. But one day a leopard attacked the sheep. The sheep ran away, but the little bear cub could not run fast and did not have time to hide. And he would not escape death. But the young shepherdess took a stick and drove the leopard away from the little bear cub, and she herself died from the claws terrible beast. Having learned about this, the pandas began to cry and sprinkled themselves with ashes as a sign of mourning for the brave girl. Wiping away tears, they left black spots on their snow-white skin. Since then, the panda skin has been a mourning for the dead girl.

Characteristics of a panda

The anatomy of pandas is unique, as it contains characteristics of both the bear and raccoon families. The classification of these animals was accompanied by controversy among scientists. After much research, they determined that giant pandas are bears.

Is a panda a raccoon or a bear?

Externally, a panda looks like a bear. Unlike ordinary bears, it has a different paw structure and a tail about 12 cm long. Pandas have a unique color - the main color of the fur is white, with black ears, legs and shoulders, and black spots near the eyes, creating the effect of glasses. All this combined with a cute face makes the panda look like a big teddy bear.

The structure of the panda's paw is “grasping”. This helps animals climb high into trees. They do this for different purposes - in search of food, to survey the surroundings, just to play or relax, lying on the branches.

Panda eats

These animals live in dense bamboo thickets, which serve them as food and shelter. Young bamboo stems and leaves are the main food of pandas. They hold the bamboo stem in their paw using the so-called “sixth finger,” which is opposed to the others. In fact, it is not a finger, it is a growth on one of the bones of the paw. With its help, pandas can hold objects in their paws, successfully climb trees, grab branches and perform other actions that are inaccessible to ordinary bears.

The menu of these animals consists almost 100% of bamboo. Leaves and young shoots are eaten, but not of all types of bamboo, but only 10-15 out of 300 growing in China. A panda can eat 14 hours a day, and during this time eats about 20 kilograms of food.

Relationship between people and animals

These are extremely peaceful animals; they never attack humans. In ancient books, the panda is called a symbol of peace, since it does not kill living creatures. But there are very few of them left in the world, and the reason for this is man. People, in pursuit of profit, exterminated these charming bears for the sake of valuable skins, cut down bamboo forests, thereby depriving not only pandas of food and housing, but also other animals.

Panda on the symbol of the WWT organization

Nowadays people are thinking about this problem. China has introduced the death penalty for killing or harming pandas. The habitats of pandas have been declared protected areas, and zoos around the world preserve and increase the number of these animals.

It’s just a pity that people, for the sake of profit, without thinking, disturb the natural balance, only to then restore it with great difficulty and expense.