Giant Panda
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They have unusually large white heads with black eyes, with short legs on a stout body.
Pandas live in the mountains of the temperate forests of western China. These forests have bamboo, which accounts for ninety-nine percent of their diet.
Giant Pandas are listed as endangered. Current population estimates suggest there are approximately 1,500 species in the wild. Some scientists suggest that the 2008 earthquake in China could pose problems for them because it affected bamboo growth in their natural habitat.
Pandas, on loan from China can be found at zoos around the world. Many, if not all of these facilities promote captive breeding programs as a means for improving panda population numbers.
© 2004 Patricia A. Michaels.