High in dense bamboo forests in the misty, rainy mountains of south-western China lives one of the world's rarest mammals: the giant panda. Only about 1,000 of these black-and-white relatives of bears survive in the wild. Reasons for the unique black markings of fur are unknown, but they're believed to act as a camouflage to enemies. At the first sign of danger, the panda climbs a tree and squats on a forked branch. The black markings blend in with branches, trunks, and shadows. The white parts are almost invisible against the bright sky.

There is also a Chinese legend explaining how pandas acquired their black markings: A young and beautiful girl lived in the Wolong valley with her family. She was a shepherdess, loved by all who knew her for her kindness and good nature. Whenever she took her sheep into the hills, a young panda would come to her flock, perhaps mistaking them for it's own kind, for in those days, pandas were all white. One day, the panda arrived as usual, but it had not been playing with the flock for long, when a leopard jumped from a tree and began to attack the helpless cub. Careless of her own life, the girl picked up a stick and began to beat the leopard. The panda ran off, but the leopard turned on it's attacker and killed her. When the other pandas heard this, they were stricken with grief. All came to attend the girl's funeral, and as a mark of their respect, they covered their arms with ashes. At the funeral, they could not contain themselves. They wiped their eyes to dry their tears, and hugged themselves as they sobbed. The cries became so loud that they covered they're ears with their paws to block out the noise. Wherever they touched themselves, the ashes stained their fur black and since that day, all pandas have carried these marks.

Pandas weigh about 200-250 pounds (85-125 kg), and have a body length of 4-5 feet (120-150 cm), and have tails that are about 5 inches long. Unlike other bears, Pandas do not hibernate. Listen for a giant panda's vocalizations, and you might hear it bleat, squeal, honk, growl, moan, or bark.

While Pandas still eat some small animals and other vegetation, their diet consists almost entirely of bamboo. Pandas sometimes eat fish or small animals, though bamboo is 99% of their meals. Unfortunately, their digestive system is still better suited for a carnivorous diet, and a majority of this bamboo is passed through their bodies with little nutritious effects. Thus, Pandas spend about 14 hours a day collecting bamboo, and they eat 20-50 pounds of bamboo a day to meet they're dietary needs.

Known to have ancestors from up to 3 million years ago, Pandas used to roam a territory that included much of China and North Vietnam. Now, Pandas are confined to a few small Chinese mountain areas in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu. These mountain ranges provide seclusion from people, and still have the types of bamboo they eat, and provide good water sources from rainfall and melting snow. However, with people in China continuing to convert many forested areas in to farmland, Pandas have an ever-decreasing roaming area. As people encroach further on its habitat, the shy Panda must retreat into areas where it's harder for them to find sufficient amounts of bamboo and a water source. Bamboo does provide some hydration for Pandas, though, but not enough for survival. So, Pandas will live within a kilometre of water source, making feasible to consume water on daily basis. If a Panda finds an area with bamboo, yet not close to a water source, it will forego the food in search of an area that has both food and water.

There are over 200 types of bamboo, though Pandas only eat about a dozen varieties of bamboo, and only a few of these grow at the high altitudes where pandas live today. A panda should have at least two bamboo species where it lives, or it will starve. When they had larger living range it was easier to find bamboo sources, but Pandas must now share limited amount of bamboo in few mountainous areas that they live on.

Today, approximately 1,000 Pandas are alive today in the wild, and about 150 in zoos or breeding facilities. While Pandas are now limited to several Chinese mountain ranges that make up about 5000 sq. miles (13,000 sq. km), it is hopeful that some more of the territories will be preserved for them. There are Panda reserves in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu. Not only are protection of these areas crucial to survival of Pandas, but also are home to many other rare plant and animal species.

In 1997, only twenty pandas live in zoos outside China, in seven countries:

United States (three)

Japan (six)

Mexico (four)

Spain (two)

France (one)

Germany (two)

Korea (two)

Currently pandas cannot be taken out of China except for authorized research projects because the survival of pandas in the wild is in great doubt.

Habitat loss caused by logging is the largest threat to giant pandas today. Pandas used to be able to move quite easily from one mountaintop to another in search of food. Now, people mostly inhabit the valleys. Pandas are shy; they don't venture into areas where people live. This restricts pandas to very limited areas. As people continue to farm, log, and develop land higher and higher up the mountain slopes, the pandas' habitat continues to shrink. And sometimes, when all the bamboo in their area dies off naturally, pandas starve because they're unable to move to new areas where other bamboo species thrive.

Conservation organizations and Chinese government officials and scientists continue to work toward resolving the pandas' isolation problems. Maintaining "bamboo corridors"-strips of undisturbed land through which pandas can comfortably travel from mountain to mountain-are one of the many ideas that may help save the giant panda. Save the pandas!~