Morning, today is March 16 National Panda Day #NationalPandaDay and if your Homeschooling your children check out our Lesson Plan on Panda’s here. In the meantime it’s pretty outside today so would you like to go on a Field Trip with Charlie and I to the Fort Worth Zoo to see if they have any Panda’s we can see.
On March 16, we celebrate Pandas that are a source of national pride for China. Did you know there are two subspecies of Panda: The Giant, black and white panda, and the ‘Qinling panda’ which is a much smaller, brown subspecies of Panda, discovered in 1985 in the Mountain ranges of the Southern Shaanxi Province in China. In the wilderness, giant Pandas live only in the remote, Mountainous regions of China. As of 2019, due to rapidly growing population numbers, the status of Pandas was upgraded from “endangered” species to “vulnerable” species.
Still, it is reported that there are less than 2,000 Pandas left in the wild, due to habitat loss, farming, fur hunting, and other factors. Pandas only live about 15 to 20 years in the wild, but those in captivity can live even longer. Panda Bears play an important part in the ecosystem of China’s bamboo forests, by spreading seeds, and therefore, growing new vegetation, which serves both humans and animals. That’s why it is important to protect the Panda and its environment.
One factor contributing to the Pandas endangered status is the low birth rate for Pandas. Considering that female Pandas are only fertile two or three days of the year, it makes sense that reproduction in the wild is more difficult for this species. There are about 27 Zoos worldwide that protect Giant Pandas, and foster environments to encourage reproduction. The most important factor for preserving wild Pandas is to protect their environment, especially bamboo forests, which is their main source of nutrition.
Though the origin of National Panda Day is unknown, we can assume that National Panda Day was created to bring awareness to the beauty of Pandas, in order to keep them from going extinct. In 1961, the World Wide Fund for Nature was formed, and created their logo around the Panda, because it is “an animal that is beautiful, endangered, and loved by many people in the world,” as said by Sir Peter Scott, one of the first WWF founders. The Panda became a symbol of the conservation movement around the world — a call to action to preserve endangered species, and our natural wildlife environments for our wild animals.
In 2020, due to the reproduction efforts in Zoos, reforestation and conservation campaigns, Pandas are considered “vulnerable” to extinction. Though Pandas are no longer on the brink of extinction, it’s important to keep the environment for Pandas intact, as the giant Panda plays an important part in our natural ecosystem. There have been some political debates in China and worldwide recently on how important it is to keep spending money to breed Pandas in captivity, and protect the forests of China, where the wild Panda Bears live. According to a scientific paper published in 2015 by The Society for Conservation Biology, preserving the natural habitat of the giant Panda also helps 70% of the country’s forest Birds, 70% of Mammals and 31% of Amphibians. Pandas play a crucial role in forests, and it’s our job to protect them.
NATIONAL PANDA DAY ACTIVITIES
- Today is a great day to watch a nature documentary about Pandas and The ‘Kung Fu Panda’ a animated series is a place to start, but real-life documentaries will do Pandas more justice. For example, watch “A Panda Is Born which is a documentary About Taishan”, which describes the life of one of the most famous Pandas in the world, who was born in the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and is the first Panda to survive to maturity.
- Don clothes with Panda logos, or purchase Panda products especially if it contributes to the conservation of the Panda species.
- ”You can sponsor and virtually “adopt” a Panda online and the cost to care for a Panda in captivity can be expensive, but you are providing these creatures with longer, peaceful lives.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PANDAS
- Pandas spend 14 hours just eating which amounts to consuming up to 83 pounds of bamboo every day, depending on what part of the bamboo they are eating.
- Newborn pandas are blind and they do not start to see until they are around 6 weeks old. Throughout their lives, they rely on spatial memory more than visual memory.
- Pandas use their enlarged wrist bones to eat, which function as opposable thumb.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL PANDA DAY
- Exchanges of giant Pandas to American and Japanese zoos in the 1970s marked some of the first cultural gifts exchanged between China and the West. This has been termed “Panda diplomacy”. The Chinese still consider Pandas to be honored guests, and some people believe Pandas bring good luck.
- Baby Pandas are the cutest baby mammals. A giant Panda baby is the smallest mammal newborn relative to its mother’s size. When they are born, they are usually the size of a stick of butter.
If your Homeschooling your children I would like to share our Lesson Plans on Panda’s with you.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
