A bear endemic to South Central China, the gigantic panda is also known as the panda bear (or simply the panda). It is distinguished by its rotund physique and striking black-and-white coat. To distinguish it from the red panda, a nearby musteloid, the moniker “big panda” is occasionally used. The giant panda is a folivore, eating bamboo shoots and leaves for more than 99 percent of its diet, while belonging to the Carnivora group. In the wild, giant pandas will consume a variety of grasses, wild tubers, and even meat from birds, rodents, or carrion. They may be fed honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, or bananas in captivity, as well as specially prepared meals.

The giant panda may be found in a few mountain ranges in central China, primarily in Sichuan but also in Shaanxi and Gansu. The giant panda has been forced out of the lowland areas where it previously thrived as a result of farming, deforestation, and other development, and it is now a conservation-dependent endangered species. According to a 2007 estimate, there are 239 pandas in captivity in China and another 27 outside the nation.

In December 2014, there were 49 giant pandas in captivity outside of China, spread among 18 zoos in 13 countries. There are around 1,590 individuals alive in the wild, according to one estimate, but a 2006 research using DNA analysis suggested that this number may be as high as 2,000 to 3,000. According to some studies, the number of wild giant pandas is increasing. Mongabay, a conservation news site, reported in March 2015 that the wild giant panda population has risen by 268, or 16.8%, to 1,864. The IUCN reclassified the panda from “endangered” to “vulnerable” in 2016, reaffirming a decade of conservation efforts.

While the dragon has long been China’s national emblem, the enormous panda has frequently taken its place worldwide. As a result, it is increasingly being utilized outside of China, for example, on gold panda bullion coins since 1982 and as one of the five Fuwa mascots of the Beijing Olympics.

To make up for the low calorie content of its food, the average giant panda consumes 9 to 14 kg (20 to 30 lb) of bamboo shoots each day. Because huge volumes of indigestible plant material move quickly through the short, straight digestive system, ingestion of such a big amount of material is conceivable and essential.

However, due to the fast transit of digesta, the capacity for microbial digestion in the gastrointestinal system is limited, restricting other kinds of digestion. Because of its large diet, the giant panda defecates up to 40 times a day. The panda’s behavior has been influenced by the limited energy input imposed by its diet. To conserve energy, the giant panda restricts its social contacts and avoids steeply sloped terrain.

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