Happy International Panda Day!

Today is International Panda Day,  to commemorate the occasion here are some interesting facts about our adorable fuzzy black and white friends.

Top 9 facts about pandas

Do you love pandas? if so learn the top 9 fun facts about pandas that you probably never heard of before: 

1. Every day, giant pandas consume between 12 and 15 kilograms of food over the course of 12 hours, yet only one-fifth of that food is processed. It's no surprise that they poop approximately 40 times every day!  

2. Their diet consists solely of bamboo, which they consume in various forms to obtain various nutrients. They have been known to lick rocks to supplement their diet if they are deficient in particular minerals. 

3. It's a challenge to keep all that bamboo in one place, so pandas have an extra bone in their wrist that helps with holding bamboo! 

4. Newly born pandas are extremely tiny and are the smallest mammal in comparison to how big they grow, they are hairless and pink! Baby pandas start to grow gray hair that then turns into black hair.

5. Panda twins are a very common occurrence however when born in the wild mothers will only choose one cub to take care of due to her not being able to produce enough milk for both

6. Giant Pandas are herbivores however their teeth are made to eat meat, they have flat molars that can crush anything they eat, so we advise you to never put your hand in a panda's mouth. 

7. Pandas spend the majority of their time sleeping when they are not eating or foraging for food. Giant pandas in the wild sleep for two to four hours between feedings. A 45-kilogram adult can spend up to 12 hours a day consuming 12 to 38 kilos of bamboo. In captivity, pandas can weigh up to 150 kg and devour much more!

8. Approximately 1-2 million years ago, giant pandas were found all over China, but due to bamboo deforestation, they currently only exist in southwest China. 

9. Pandas have become vulnerable and endangered as a result of climatic changes, loss of habitat, and limited reproduction.

This article was previously published on UAE Moments. To see the original article, click here