Giant Pandas

Giant Pandas: A Rare and Iconic Species

With only around 1,860 giant pandas remaining in the wild, these beloved bears are one of the world’s rarest species. Once found across China, northern Vietnam, and Myanmar, pandas now survive in just six isolated mountain ranges in Gansu, Shaanxi, and Sichuan Provinces in China.

Recognizable by their black-and-white fur, giant pandas have a round body, weigh between 100–115 kg, and grow up to 1.9 meters long. As a symbol of conservation, protecting their fragile habitat is key to ensuring their survival.

Giant Pandas: A National Treasure

Despite having few natural predators, only around 1,800 giant pandas remain in the wild due to human threats. With their distinctive black and white fur, pandas are adored worldwide and are a national symbol of China. They also hold special significance as the WWF’s logo since 1961.

Pandas live in mountain forests in southwest China, surviving almost entirely on bamboo. They consume 26–84 pounds daily and use an enlarged wrist bone that acts like a thumb to grasp their food.

Newborn pandas are tiny about the size of a stick of butter but can grow up to 300 pounds. Despite their bulk, they are excellent climbers, navigating trees with surprising agility. Protecting their habitat is essential to their survival.

Threats to Pandas: Habitat Loss & Fragmentation

China’s Yangtze Basin is home to the giant panda’s primary habitat, but infrastructure development including dams, roads, and railways is isolating panda populations. This fragmentation prevents them from finding new bamboo forests and potential mates, threatening their long-term survival.

While over 50 panda reserves have been established, only 67% of wild pandas live within protected areas, and just 54% of their habitat is safeguarded. Though poaching has declined due to China’s Wildlife Protection Act (1988), pandas can still fall victim to snares set for other animals. Protecting their habitat is crucial to securing their future.

OUR PLEDGE

At our store, we celebrate these majestic animals while raising awareness about their conservation. Every purchase helps spread the message and support efforts to protect gorillas for future generations.