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| {{Taxobox | |||
| | color = pink | |||
| | name = Giant Panda | |||
| | status = EN | |||
| | trend = unknown | |||
| | status_system = iucn2.3 | |||
| | image = Panda.jpg | |||
| | image_width = 250px | |||
| | image_caption = Hua Mei, the baby panda born at<br />the ] in 1999. | |||
| | regnum = ]ia | |||
| | phylum = ] | |||
| | classis = ] | |||
| | ordo = ] | |||
| | familia = ] | |||
| | genus = '''''Ailuropoda''''' | |||
| | genus_authority = ], 1870 | |||
| | species = '''''A. melanoleuca''''' | |||
| | binomial = ''Ailuropoda melanoleuca'' | |||
| | binomial_authority = (], ]) | |||
| | range_map = Mapa distribuicao Ailuropoda melanoleuca.png | |||
| | range_map_width = 250px | |||
| | range_map_caption = Giant Panda range | |||
| }} | |||
| The '''giant panda''' ('''''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''''' "black-and-white cat-foot") is a ] classified in the ] family, ], native to central and southern ]. There is on-going debate as to whether this creature is truly a bear or more related to the ] rather than the bear, or perhaps in a family of its own. Recent genetic research has tended to support the conclusion that the giant panda is in fact a bear, but one that diverged relatively early from the rest of the family ]. | |||
| The panda's main food is ], but they may eat other foods such as ], ], ], and ]. Easily recognizable through its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, ears and on its rotund body, the giant panda is an ] animal: an estimated 1600 pandas live in the wild and some 188 were reported to live in captivity at the end of 2005. However, several instances of successful captive-breeding in 2005 have pushed the population closer to 300. | |||
| ==General information== | |||
| The giant panda has a very distinctive black-and-white coat, and adults measure around 1.5m long and around 75cm tall at the ]. It lives in ]ous regions, such as ], ], ], and ]. While the ] has been historically a ] for ], since the latter half of the ], the panda has also become an informal ] for ], and its image is found on many Chinese ]s. | |||
| Despite being ] a ], the panda has a ] that is overwhelmingly ]. The giant panda eats ]s and ], living almost entirely on ]. Pandas are also known to eat ], the occasional fish, and some ]s along with their bamboo diet. These are necessary sources of ]. Some zoos also feed their pandas specially formulated biscuits, fruitsicles or other treats to supplement their bamboo intake. Like other subtropical mammals, the giant panda does not ]. | |||
| For many decades the precise taxonomic classification of the panda was under debate as both the giant panda and the distantly related ] share characteristics of both bears and ]s. However, ] seems to have revealed that giant pandas are true bears and part of the Ursidae family. Its closest bear relative is the ] of ]. (Disagreement remains about whether or not the red panda belongs in ]; the ] family, ]; or in its own family, ].) | |||
| Giant pandas are an ], threatened by continued ] and by a very low birthrate, both in the wild and in ]. About 3,000 are believed to survive in the wild. ] is uncommon; killing a ] was punishable in China by death until a 1997 law changed the penalty to 20 years imprisonment. | |||
| The giant panda has an unusual ], with a "]" and five fingers; the "thumb" is actually a modified ]. ] wrote an essay about this, then used the title '']'' for a book of collected essays. The giant panda has a short tail, approximately 15 cm long. | |||
| The giant panda has long been a favourite of the public, at least partly on account of the fact that the species has an appealing baby-like ] that makes it seem to resemble a living ]. The fact that it is usually depicted reclining peacefully eating bamboo, as opposed to hunting, also adds to its image of innocence. Though the giant panda is often assumed docile because of their cuteness, they have been known to attack humans, usually assumed to be out of irritation rather than predatory behavior. | |||
| Giant pandas can usually live to be 20-30 years old while living in captivity. | |||
| == Natural history == | |||
| ]]] | |||
| No fossils of pandas have been found earlier than a few million years ago. However, ] analysis of the giant panda compared with other bears shows a very early split from the main bear lineage 18 or 15 million years ago. That was about the time when the "]" ('']'') roamed the subtropics of ]. ]s from ] sites throughout East Asia prove the success of the giant panda. In the Lang Trang ]s of northern ], fossils of pandas were found, far away from the typical mountain forests where pandas are currently found. Other fossils have been found as far south as Thailand and Burma, going as far north as where ] stands today. Fossils also show a second ] panda species. This species, ] or ''Ailuropoda minor'', was half the size of the modern giant panda. | |||
| According to a paper published in ], the ] of the panda shows evidence of a severe ] which took place about 43,000 years ago<sup><small>]</small></sup> and the age of the most recent common ancestor of the current panda populations is estimated to be 43,000 years before present. | |||
| == Uses and human interaction == | |||
| Unlike many other animals in ], pandas were rarely thought to have medical uses. The only considered medical use was probably of panda urine, to melt needles accidentally swallowed in the throat. In the past, pandas were thought to be rare and noble creatures; the mother of ] was buried with a panda skull in her tomb. ] was said to have given ] two pandas and a sheet of panda skin as a sign of goodwill. Panda skin was considered a sign of courage afterwards, and thus pandas became a target for poachers. | |||
| The giant panda was first made known to the West in ] by the ] ] ], who received a skin from a hunter on ] 1869. The first westerner known to have seen a living giant panda is the German zoologist ], who purchased a cub in ]. ] and ] became the first foreigners to shoot a panda, on an expedition funded by the ] in the 1920s. In 1936, ] became the first Westerner to bring back a live giant panda, a cub named ] who went to live at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. These activities were halted in ] because of wars; and for the next half of the century, the West knew little of the pandas. | |||
| ] | |||
| Loans of giant pandas to ] and Japanese zoos formed an important part of the ] of the ] in the ] as it marked some of the first cultural exchanges between the PRC and the West. This practice has been termed "]". | |||
| By the year ], however, pandas were no longer used as agents of diplomacy. Instead, China began to offer pandas to other nations only on 10-year loans. The standard loan terms include a fee of up to ]1,000,000 per year and a provision that any cubs born during the loan are the property of the People's Republic of China. Since ], due to a WWF ], the ] only allows a U.S. ] to import a panda if the zoo can ensure that China will channel more than half of its loan fee into ] efforts for wild pandas and their habitat. | |||
| By ], political tensions had eased between mainland China (People's Republic of China) and ] (Republic of China), causing the mainland to suggest giving Taiwan two pandas as a diplomatic gift. This proposed gift was met by polarized opinions from Taiwan, and in the end Taiwan didn't accept them. | |||
| == Conservation == | |||
| Pandas have been a target for poaching, by locals since ancient times and by foreigners since they were introduced to the West. Starting in the ]s, foreigners were unable to poach pandas in China because of the ] and the ], but pandas remained a source of soft furs for the locals. The population boom in China after ] created stress on the pandas' habitat, and the subsequent famines led to the increased hunting of wildlife, including pandas. During the ], all studies and conservation activities on the pandas were stopped. After the ], demands for panda skin from ] and Japan led to illegal poaching for the ], acts generally ignored by the local officials at the time. | |||
| Though the ] was set up by the PRC government in ] to save the declining pandas, few advances in the conservation of pandas were made, due to inexperience and insufficient knowledge in ecology. Many believed that the best way to save the pandas was to cage them, and as a result, the pandas were caged for any sign of decline, and they suffered from terrible conditions. Because of pollution and destruction of their natural habitat, along with segregation due to caging, reproduction of wild pandas was severely limited. In the ], however, several laws (including gun controls and moving residents out of the reserves) helped the chances of survival for pandas. With the ensued efforts and improved conservation methods, wild pandas have started to increase in numbers in some areas, even though they still are classified as a ]. | |||
| In 2006, scientists reported that the number of pandas living in the wild may have been underestimated at about 1000. Previous population surveys had used conventional methods to estimate the size of the wild panda population, but using a new hi-tech method that analyses ] from panda ], scientists believed that the wild panda population may be as big as 3000. Although the species is still endangered, it is thought that the conservation efforts are working. As of 2006, there were 40 panda reserves in China, compared to just 13 reserves two decades ago. | |||
| ==Reproduction== | |||
| ] | |||
| Giant pandas reproduce very slowly and infant mortality is high. Growth is slow and pandas may not reach sexual maturity until they are five to seven years old. The mating season usually takes place from mid-March to mid-May. During this time, two to five males can compete for one female; the male with the highest rank gets the female. When mating, the female is in a crouching, head-down position as the male mounts from behind. Copulation time is short, ranging from thirty seconds to five minutes, but the male may mount repeatedly to ensure successful fertilization. Mating is also a very noisy time, accompanied by moaning and squealing. | |||
| The whole gestation period ranges from 83 to 163 days, with 135 days being the average. Baby pandas weigh only 90 to 130 grams, which is about 1/900th of the mother’s weight. Usually, the female panda gives birth to one or two panda cubs. Since baby pandas are born very small and helpless, they need the mother’s undivided attention, so she is able to care for only one of her cubs. She usually abandons one of her cubs, and it dies soon after birth. At this time, scientists do not know how the female chooses which cub to raise, and this is a topic of ongoing research. | |||
| The father has no part in helping with raising the cub. When the cub is first born, it is pink, naked and blind. It nurses from its mother's breast 6–14 times a day for up to 30 minutes each time. For three to four hours, the mother might leave the den to feed, which leaves the panda cub defenseless. One to two weeks after birth, the cub's skin turns gray where its hair will eventually become black. A slight pink color may appear on the panda's fur, as a result of a ] between the fur and its mother's ]. A month after birth, the color pattern of the cub’s fur is fully developed. A cub's fur is soft as silk and coarsens with age. The cub begins to crawl at 75 to 90 days and the mothers play with their cubs by rolling and wrestling with them. The cubs are able to eat small quantities of bamboo after six months, though mother's milk remains the primary food source for most of the first year. Giant panda cubs weigh 45 kg at one year and live with their mother until they are 18 months to two years old. The interval between births in the wild is generally two years. | |||
| Breeders and biologists often experience difficulty in inducing captive pandas to mate, threatening their already diminished population. This problem may stem from the captive bears' lack of experience. In an attempt to remedy this, some keepers in China and Thailand have shown their subjects videos containing footage of mating pandas. In some cases, the bears have been sufficiently stimulated from the videos to engage in reproductive activity. It is not likely that the animals actually learn mating behaviors from the video; rather, scientists believe that hearing the associated sounds has a stimulating effect on the bears exposed to it. | |||
| ==Name== | |||
| The name "]" originates with a Himalayan language, possibly ]. And as used in the ] it was originally applied to the ], to which the '''giant panda''' was thought to be related. Until its relation to the red panda was discovered in ], the giant panda was known as '''Mottled Bear''' (''Ailuropus melanoleucus'') or '''Partli-coloured Bear'''. | |||
| In ], the giant panda is called the "large bear cat" ({{zh-stp|s=大熊猫|t=大熊貓|p=Dàxióngmāo}}), or "cat bear" ({{zh-stp|s=猫熊|t=貓熊|p=Māoxióng}}), a term usually used only in ]. | |||
| Most bears' eyes have round pupils. The exception is the giant panda, whose pupils are vertical slits, like cats' eyes. It is these unusual eyes that inspired the Chinese to call the panda the "giant bear cat". | |||
| ==Subspecies== | |||
| Two subspecies of giant panda have been recognized on the basis of distinct cranial measurements, color patterns, and ] (Wan et al., 2005). | |||
| ''''']''''' consists of most extant populations of panda. These animals are principally found in ] and display the typical stark black and white contrasting colors. | |||
| ''''']''''' is restricted to the ] in ] at elevations of 1300–3000 m. The typical black and white pattern of Sichuan Pandas is replaced with a dark brown versus light brown pattern. The skull of ''A. m. qinlingensis'' is smaller than its relatives and it has larger molars. | |||
| ==Pandas in zoos== | |||
| ] on 1964 ] 2 kopeks ]]] | |||
| ]’s zoo ]]] | |||
| ], four major American ]s have giant pandas (listed in order in which they acquired the pandas): | |||
| * ], ], ] - home of Bai Yun (F), Gao Gao (M), Mei Sheng (M), and a female cub named Su Lin | |||
| * The US ], ] - home of Mei Xiang (F), Tian Tian (M), and a male cub named ] | |||
| * ], ], ] - home of Lun Lun (F) and Yang Yang (M) | |||
| * ], ], ] - home of Ya Ya (F) and Le Le (M) | |||
| There is one zoo in Mexico: | |||
| * ], ] - home of Shuan Shuan, Xin Xin and Xi Hua, all females | |||
| Two zoos in Europe show giant pandas: | |||
| * ], ], ] - home of Bao Bao, age 27, the oldest panda living in captivity; he has been in Berlin for 25 years and has never reproduced. | |||
| * ], ], ] - home to two pandas (a male and a female) born in Wolong, China in 2000 | |||
| Pandas in Japan have double names: a Japanese name and a Chinese name. Three zoos in Japan show giant pandas: | |||
| *], Tokyo - home of Ling Ling (M), he is the only panda with "Japanese citizenship". | |||
| *Oji Zoo, Kobe, ] - home of Kou Kou (M), Tan Tan (F) | |||
| *Adventure World, ], ] - Ei Mei (M), Mei Mei (F), Rau Hin (F), Ryu Hin and Syu Hin (male twins), and Kou Hin (M). Yu Hin (M) went to China in ]. | |||
| The ] in northern ] is home to Chuang Chuang (M) and Lin Hui (F). Much to the joy of the public, the two have recently been observed mating and it is hoped that cubs will be produced from the union. | |||
| ], ], and ] no longer have pandas, although Madrid is exploring the possibility of obtaining pandas in the future. | |||
| On ], 2005, a male giant panda cub was born at the National Zoo in Washington to mother Mei Xiang and father Tian Tian through artificial insemination; it was the first surviving cub birth in the zoo's history. For the first time in the nation's history, a public vote chose this panda's name. Following Chinese tradition, his name ] (tie-SHON) was announced when he turned 100 days old. | |||
| A female cub, Su Lin, was born on ], 2005, to the female Bai Yun and male Gao Gao at the San Diego Zoo. Her name was also chosen by a public online poll. Bai Yun's two previous cubs were the first two giant pandas to survive past infancy in the United States (the first surviving cubs in ] were bred in the Chapultepec Zoo). The first, a female named Hua Mei, was fathered by Shi Shi via artificial insemination and was born on ], ]. She returned to China in February 2004, where she has already given birth to 2 sets of twins, males in 2004 (named Hua Ling and Mei Ling) and one male/one female in 2005. Both sets of twins are doing fine to date. Bai Yun's second cub, a male named Mei Sheng, was the product of natural mating with Gao Gao and was born on ], ]. Su Lin was also fathered by Gao Gao via natural mating. | |||
| A ] '']'' article outlined the economics of keeping pandas, which costs five times more than that of the next most expensive animal, an ]. American zoos must pay the Chinese government $2 million a year in fees, part of what is typically a ten-year contract. San Diego's contract with China is the first to expire, in 2008. The last contract, in Memphis, ends in 2013. | |||
| In ], there are 2 pandas in ]; Jia Jia, an aged female, and An An, a male. | |||
| ==Pandas in popular culture== | |||
| ] | |||
| Pandas are a popular animal in eastern and western culture. Pandas have often appeared in television programs, cartoons, and picture-books, while their images have graced all manner of consumer products. For example: | |||
| * ] is the name of an American fast food chain which serves ]. The chain's logo features a ], stylized panda. Some franchises also give donations to panda preservation groups. Other Americanized Chinese restauraunts may have names like Panda Garden and Panda Palace. | |||
| *The title of ]'s book, '']'', is, among other things, a reference to a joke on poor ]: | |||
| ] | |||
| ::A panda walks into a cafe and orders a sandwich. After the panda has eaten his meal, he takes out a gun and shoots several holes in the ceiling. As the panda begins to leave, the waiter cries out, "What was that for?" in regard to the shootings. The panda tosses a wildlife guide to the waiter. The waiter reads the guide, and it says, "Panda. Black-and-white mammal native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves." | |||
| * The ] ] is a stylized panda. | |||
| *A panda named Jing Jing is one of the ], the mascots for the ] in ]. | |||
| *'Panda' is a playable character in the arcade fighting game ]. | |||
| *In the ] series ], Ranma's father Genma transforms into a giant, mute panda when doused in cold water. | |||
| *Officially the Panda is the ] of ]. | |||
| *A panda who learns martial arts is the central character in the forthcoming animated film '']'' (2008), voiced by ]. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==References== | |||
| * {{IUCN2006|assessors=Bear Specialist Group|year=1996|id=712|title=Ailuropoda melanoleuca|downloaded=] ]}} Listed as Endangered (EN B1+2c, C2a v2.3) | |||
| * Schaller, George B. ''The Last Panda''. Chicago. University of Chicago Press, 1993. | |||
| * Catton, Chris ''Pandas''. Christopher Helm, 1990. | |||
| * Wan, Q.-H., H. Wu, and S.-G. Fang. 2005. A new subspecies of giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca'') from Shaanxi, China. ''Journal of Mammalogy'' 86: 397–402. | |||
| * | |||
| * Associated Press (via ]) 2006. | |||
| *Goodman, Brenda (], ]). . '']'' | |||
| * Warren, Lynne. ''Panda, Inc.'' ''National Geographic'' July 2006. (about Mei Xiang, Tai Shan and the Wolong Panda Research Facility in Chengdu China). | |||
| * Friends of the National Zoo. ''Panda Cam : a nation watches Tai Shan the panda cub grow.'' Fireside Books, New York; 2006. | |||
| * Ryder, Joanne. ''Little panda : the world welcomes Hua Mei at the San Diego Zoo.'' Simon & Schuster, New York; 2001. | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{commons|Giant Panda}} | |||
| {{wikispecies|Ailuropoda melanoleuca}} | |||
| * - environmental conservation organization | |||
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| * - panda conservation group | |||
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| *ARKive - '' | |||
| * - (Baby Panda '''Tai Shan''' and his mother '''Mei Xiang''') | |||
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Revision as of 14:32, 2 August 2006
Rape Pandas all day