Scientific name: Ailuropoda melanoleuca
Origin: Asia (China)
Size: 1.6-1.9m
Diet: Omnivore, but mostly herbivore (it eats mostly bamboo shoots)
IUCN status: Vulnerable
Threats: Conversion of bamboo forests for agriculture, climate change, historically hunting for its fur
Zoos I have seen them: Edinburgh Zoo
Interesting fact: The giant panda is the only temperate bear species that does not hibernate in winter; sun bears, spectacled bears, sloth bears (all tropical species) and most polar bears (an Arctic species) are also active at this time.
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