Overview:
Pandas look like big cuddly bears, but they are actually shy reclusive bamboo eaters who would like to be left alone.The Loner - Giant Pandas in the Wild:
Pandas are loners. Although they appear to have been carnivorous at some point in their evolution, they adapted to eating only plants – and only bamboo – but retain a solitary nature unlike other herbivores. They keep a small territory and don’t wander too far. They also don’t have rigid schedules, eating, sleeping and playing whenever and wherever the mood strikes them. The Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base points out, however, that over 50% of a panda’s day is spent eating, over 40% is spent sleeping, so whatever is left over is devoted to play.The Loner Hunts for a Mate:
In the spring, for a mere three months, older pandas of at least 7 years, search each other out for the mating season. After mating, pandas retreat to their homes.Thirsty Pandas:
Pandas love water and make their homes near a water source. Pandas sometimes over-drink and act drunk making it even more beloved by the Chinese people as legends surround why the panda does this.Playful Pandas:
Pandas are playful and not the least bit aggressive. Mountain dwellers have reported them mischievously getting into their homes and playing with kitchen pots and pans and then discarding them in the woods later on. They’ve also been known to befriend domestic animals such as a sheep or pig and sleep and eat together with them.Shy Miss Panda:
Chinese people nickname the Panda “Miss Panda” since they often exhibit shy, even coy, behavior such as covering its face with a paw or ducking its head when confronted by a stranger.Not So Shy Mrs. Panda:
Notably, mother pandas protect their young as you’d expect so just like any other bear, don’t come between a mama panda and her baby.
Source: The Giant Panda Breeding Research Base: www.panda.org.cn.
