11 Fun Facts About Pandas

Today is National Panda Day! What a pandastic day! Here are some random facts about these lovable cuddly creatures.

1. 99% of their diet is bamboo.

That's a lot of bamboo! Otherwise, the other 1% of their diet is carnivorous. They'll eat eggs, small animals, forage for beans and pumpkins.

2. They spend most of their day eat.

Sounds like the life! Pandas spend 10-16 hours of their day eating...sounds like me when I'm PMSing.

3. Sometimes they do handstands while peeing

Now that's a unique talent!

4. They are very​ regular.

Maybe more impressive is how much they poop! On average the have 40 #2s, which can weigh up to 60 lbs (28kg)!

5. They have good camouflage for their environment.

When picturing pandas amongst all the green bamboo, it may surprise you to find that their black and white fur actually helps them camouflage. The black fur helps them camouflage amongst the green, but their white fur helps them camouflage in snow. Very nifty, eh?

6. Climbing by 5!

Cubs start climbing everywhere by 5 months! And they often practice on their mom. Sounds like my son!

7. 1 panda year = 3 human years.

They live about 18-20 years in the wild, and 25-30 years in captivity

8. They have 6 fingers!

The more fingers, the more bamboo they can grab! Their 6th finger actually serves more like a thumb, and has strong muscles but no movable joints.

9. They're loners.

They don't need other pandas to hunt for bamboo, so they just claim their territory and don't let any other pandas near their bamboo. This also ensure there's enough bamboo for each panda. Since they eat so much, if they all lived together there wouldn't be enough bamboo for everyone.

10. They don't hibernate.

All that bamboo is not enough fat to allow them to sleep for months. But they're very comfy even in the freezing cold.

11. Giant pandas are no longer endangered.

Yay! Since the summer of 2021, conservation efforts of giant pandas proved successful. This doesn't mean there's no longer a threat, and they're now categorized as "vulnerable" instead of "endangered." Still, it shows that conservation efforts matter.