We recently wrote about how ladybugs enjoy an unreasonably good reputation among people. But human love for these insects pales against the background of the positive emotions that pandas evoke in us. Indeed, there is probably not a person in the world who would not be touched by these cute, clumsy and cheerful animals. In modern society, pandas have become a symbol of happiness and fun, but are they really so harmless?
Before we begin the story, it is worth clarifying that wild pandas and their captive counterparts behave completely differently. Pandas living in captivity live up to the stereotypes: they are fluffy, cute and funny, but wild pandas are a completely different story. In the wild, pandas not only pose a real danger to humans, but also lead a somewhat depraved, in our understanding, lifestyle.
Are pandas dangerous to humans?
You can’t argue with the fact that pandas look very cute, but appearances, as we know, can be deceiving. In the wild, these animals can pose a real danger to humans. Yes, pandas are not predators , but despite this, they have powerful jaws, which provide them with one of the leading places in terms of bite force in the animal world. These jaws, along with sharp teeth, allow pandas to chew through the tough bamboo stalks that make up most of their diet. In addition to teeth and jaws, pandas also have solid claws, which are also capable of causing serious injuries to humans.
However, even in captivity, where animals are accustomed to the constant attention of people, they can pose a real danger. In 2006-2009, 3 cases of panda attacks on people were recorded at the Beijing Zoo. Of course, the victims themselves are to blame for getting into the animals’ enclosure and receiving serious injuries, but this does not detract from the fact that pandas , like many other animals, can be dangerous . Before approaching the cages, people hardly thought that in addition to soft fur and cute colors, pandas also have sharp teeth, powerful jaws and long claws. You can see the consequences of such carelessness here, but we warn you right away that this is not a pleasant sight.
Description and features
Among the representatives of the animal kingdom of the planet there are such unusual specimens of fauna that scientists do not even immediately understand how to classify them and whose relatives they recognize. Such creatures include the panda .
At one time, serious disputes broke out between zoologists to find out which family this animal belongs to. This mysterious mammal, covered with fluffy fur, has a very unusual appearance.
And at first they decided that this animal was closest to raccoons, only much larger in size. True, there were also those who saw in the panda a relationship with tigers, leopards and foxes. But genetic studies have refuted these assumptions, concluding that this cute animal still has many more related traits with bears.
And the manner of movement, in particular the clumsiness characteristic of pandas, only confirmed this fact. Therefore, they were eventually classified as a member of the bear family, specifying that certain signs of a raccoon are still observed in these creatures.
But the questions and discussions about what kind of animal a panda is did not end there, because the creatures that experts in the animal world have agreed to call giant pandas also have a smaller relative. And with the classification of the latter, everything turned out to be even more complicated. But more on that later.
For the first time in literary sources, this representative of the fauna was mentioned in ancient collections of Chinese poetry and historical chronicles of the Celestial Empire. The age of such records is approximately three thousand years.
By the way, the Chinese called such an animal: Xiongmao, which translates as “cat bear.” And this nickname speaks for itself about the appearance of the animal and its habits.
A giant panda reaches a size of about one and a half meters, but if you add the size of its tail to its length, which is another 12.5 cm, then the measurement result will increase slightly.
The weight of the animal is approximately 160 kg. The coloring of the fur of these bizarre creatures is also very unique. Their head hair is impressively white, but the circles surrounding their eyes are black.
The ears and tail are the same color, as well as a stripe on the body that resembles a collar. Their paws, disproportionately small compared to the body, are also black.
The animals' forelimbs are distinguished by an interesting structural detail. They are endowed with six fingers. But to be more precise, there are only five fingers, and the addition to them should be considered only a bone carpal growth covered with skin.
And such a modification turns out to be very useful, helping animals survive in their natural environment.
Giant pandas are found in some provinces of China, in particular in Shaanxi, Gansu and Sichuan, as well as in Tibet, where they prefer wild areas covered with bamboo for their livelihoods.
That is why such animals received the nickname bamboo bears. The just mentioned structural feature of their paws allows them to easily hold the stems of plants, in the thickets of which they love to hide.
They grab them with their forelimbs. And also paws with six fingers help them climb very tall trees.
Panda breeding
However, where the habits of wild pandas and their captive counterparts diverge most is in the area of reproduction. To begin with, giant pandas have a rather strange reproductive cycle: adult females are capable of conceiving only once a year, and this phase lasts less than two days. The situation is greatly aggravated by the fact that in captivity pandas are absolutely not interested in sex. These two characteristics have resulted in pandas breeding very slowly in captivity. In order to somehow awaken pandas’ interest in sex, zoos resort to all sorts of tricks, often even showing the animals, in the literal sense, “panda porn.”
In the wild, everything is completely different. Yes, adult females are still only fertile two days a year, but unlike their captive counterparts, they consistently bear offspring once every two years. All this happens due to the fact that pandas make full use of the two days allotted to them. Research shows that in the wild, giant pandas often have sex in groups of three or more, and one female can copulate about 50 times in three hours.
Therefore, the next time you watch another cute video about pandas, remember that they behave this way only because of people, and in the wild they are completely different animals.
Based on materials from the BBC.
Tags: Animals Pandas Sex
Milota will save the world
However, environmentalists recently said that China's panda conservation efforts have actually protected many other species from extinction that are not as popular on YouTube. For example, when Chinese authorities began converting farmland back to forests and reducing deforestation, their first concern was pandas. But preserving and restoring more than 20,000 square miles of forest has helped other animals, too.
In the photo: takin
Even outside man-made panda habitats, tree planting and anti-logging efforts have allowed native flora to flourish, increasing biodiversity. In fact, now that the "panda" areas themselves have largely reached maximum growth and density, areas outside panda habitat are improving even faster. Field research and satellite imagery show that loving pandas helps their neighbors, too.
In the photo: Asian black (Himalayan) bear
Now scientists are interested in whether in all cases charismatic animals can provide their fellow countrymen with a more comfortable existence. According to them, it is easier and more pleasant to protect beautiful tigers or elephants than earthworms, although worms are also extremely important for the ecosystem.
There is such a profession - panda hugger
This work, or maybe not work at all, but real pleasure, is definitely among the top unusual professions that we wrote about earlier.
There is actually a job opening for a panda cuddler. Such a tempting offer can be found mainly in China, where the largest number of panda nurseries are concentrated. The employee's responsibilities include more than just daily cuddles with the panda.
As well as maintaining documentation, photographing, feeding and caring for cubs up to two years old. Also, a candidate for the cuddle position needs to know everything about pandas. He must be over 22 years of age and have knowledge of zoology.
In addition to raising his mi-me-me level every day, the panda cuddler receives a salary ranging from $400 to $500 a month. Depending on experience.
Pandas are not lazy, they save energy!
But the most noticeable changes were behavioral. Pandas had to minimize energy expenditure in all aspects of their lives: limit movement, limit mating periods, gain weight to stay warm, and sleep as much as possible . Saving energy also explains their very small and helpless cubs. Smithsonian National Zoological Park expert Lisa Stevens says it is much more efficient to give birth to very small, undeveloped babies and raise them on milk than to waste energy on developing the fetus.
Baby pandas are adorably helpless and clumsy
Only the first one survives
The giant panda gives birth to offspring consisting of 1-2 cubs, and this usually happens in the summer. But of the cubs born, only one has a chance of survival. The fact is that the female only takes care of the first cub, abandoning the second. This feature, according to scientists, may be associated with the survival tactics of pandas. In conditions of a limited amount of bamboo, pandas reproduce rather slowly, without creating severe intraspecific competition for food resources. The only bear cub, having matured, lives with its mother for quite a long time - up to 2.5 - 3 years.
