THE GIANT PANDA

This peaceful creature with a black and white coat is adored by the world and considered a national treasure in China.

Giant pandas live mainly in bamboo forests high in the mountains of western China. They have to eat from 26 to 84 pounds of bamboo every day. They eat fast, they eat a lot and they spend about 12 hours a day doing it. The Chinese government, in partnership with World Wildlife Fund, has developed bamboo corridors in the forests to allow the pandas move to new areas, find more food and meet breeding mates.

Adult pandas are about 150cm from nose to rump, with a 10-15cm tail. They can grow up to 90cm tall at the shoulder. An adult panda can weigh up to 150kg, with males 10% larger and 20% heavier than females.

The giant panda is perhaps the most powerful symbol in the world when it comes to species conservation. The latest research in 2014 found that there were 1,864 giant pandas alive in the wild. While still low, this is a real success story. The number has increased from around 1,000 in the late 1970s.

We should do everything we can to save the giant panda because it is on the edge of extinction, mostly because of human actions. Wherever we live, if we all treat our planet better, we can help the giant panda and the bamboo forests to have a better future.