Giant Panda Facts

Most of the remaining wild pandas live in the Minshan and Qinling Mountains, spreading through the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi Provinces. As for travelers, they can see giant pandas in some zoos and parks, like Beijing Zoo, Shanghai Zoo, Chongqing Zoo, Chengdu Zoo, Guilin Zoo, Shanghai Wildlife Park, Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park, Hong Kong Ocean Park, Dalian Forest Zoo, Macau Giant Panda Pavilion, etc.

Moreover, since Chengdu is known as “Hometown of Giant Pandas”, travelers can see giant pandas in and around Chengdu by visiting the well-organized panda bases - Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base (short for Chengdu Panda Base), Dujiangyan Panda Base, Wolong Shenshuping Panda Base and Ya’an Bifengxia Panda Base.

The giant panda has a very specialized diet consisting 99% of bamboo. The pandas eat all parts of bamboo including the stalk, leaves, shoots and roots. Giant panda still has the digestive system of a carnivore, as well as carnivore-specific genes, while bamboo contains highly fibrous and very little nutritional value so giant pandas should eat 12~38 kilograms every day to meet their energy needs. With about 1% of their diet, giant pandas eat other plants and even meat. Every day, panda will spend about 12 to 16 hours peeling the bamboo and eating in all kinds of postures - sitting, lying flat, leaning.

In zoos, parks and panda bases, giant pandas eat bamboo, sugar cane, rice gruel, a special high-fiber biscuit, carrots, apples and sweet potatoes. Giant pandas are very active during the feeding time, travelers can catch the best time to see the active pandas. Below we offered the timetable of giant panda for your reference.

Please note: real situation may slightly different and if you want to visit active pandas, please check it with your experienced travel consultant or local travel guide. China Discovery suggests you go early in the morning before 08:00 AM to have close contact with the lovely bears.

The captive female pandas reach sexual maturity at four years old and the male pandas at six years old. Usually, the pandas live alone with separated areas while during their estrus, they live together. In spring during March to May, the female ones are in heat and male pandas attract female ones by yawping, climbing trees, fighting with other male pandas, etc.

The pregnancy of giant panda is about 83 to 200 days and they usually give birth to baby pandas in August. The baby pandas are born blind who are totally helpless and dependent. At birth baby pandas weigh less than six ounces and are less than six inches in length. The mother panda will devote her entire day taking care of her baby. She will caress her newborn, clean her with her tongue, and never let her out of her sight. In the Sunshine Nursery of Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center, travelers can see the baby pandas in red being under take care by the keepers.