About the panda

A unique bear

The giant panda is perhaps the most powerful symbol in the world when it comes to species conservation. In China, it is a national treasure, and WWF adopted the panda as its symbol in 1961.

A member of the bear family, giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) possess the same digestive system of a carnivore, but they are unique in that they have adapted to a vegetarian diet and eat mostly bamboo. Bamboo contains very little nutritional value, so pandas must eat 12-38 kg a day to meet their energy needs. This leaves them vulnerable to any loss of bamboo habitat – a key threat to their survival.

A few giant panda facts:

• Pandas are the only bear that do not hibernate
• Giant pandas are about 150 cm long from nose to rump, with a 10-15 cm tail. A large adult panda can weigh about 100-150 kg, with males 10% larger and 20% heavier than females.
• A breeding pair of pandas require a minimum area of around 30 km² to support them over the short term.

There are around 720 pandas in the Minshan Mountains and 200-300 pandas in the Qinling Mountains. This is approximately 65% of the wild population, based on the 2004 survey.

Read more about the panda landscapes in the Minshan and Qinling Mountains.

Visit the WWF giant panda fact file