Pandas are some of the world’s most beloved animals and probably the most recognizable. Native to Eastern Asia, these beautiful creatures are nearly extinct due to poaching, low procreation rates and loss of habitat. Despite their looks, pandas are not typical bears and prefer a vegetarian diet, and there are many other things that most of us don’t know about these cute creatures. Below are 15 interesting panda facts:
1. There are currently 240 pandas in captivity around the world and they are all part of a breeding program
2. Any panda you see in a zoo is on loan from China
3. Scientists estimate that pandas have been on this Earth for around 2-3 million years
4. There are only 2,000 pandas left in the wild
5. A panda female is fertile only 3 days a year
6. Researchers have cataloged 11 different panda calls, 4 of which are used to find a mate
7. Until 1896, no one in the West had even heard of pandas
8. A panda’s fur can be worth upwards of $100,000 on the black market
9. Whenever a panda is born internationally, it is sent to China via FedEx
10. To reduce stress when studying them, researchers dress up as pandas
11. Even though it’s not necessary for their health, bamboo consists of 99% of all pandas’ diet
12. A panda can defecate up to 40 times a day
13. Young pandas have been known to eat their mother’s feces
14. One panda requires about 4 square miles of space in order to survive comfortably
15. The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) chose the panda as its symbol, not because of their cuteness but rather because it reduced the cost of print
H/T: viralnova.com
