National Panda Day

The fluffiest, bamboo-eating bears, who are a source of pride for China, are celebrated annually on March 16. The giant, black-and-white panda and the much smaller, brown "Qinling panda," which was found in 1985 in the mountain ranges of southern Shaanxi Province in China, are the two subspecies of pandas. Giant pandas can only be found in China's isolated mountainous regions. In 2019, the status of pandas was changed from "endangered" to "vulnerable" due to their rapidly increasing population.

Nevertheless, it is estimated that due to habitat destruction, cultivation, fur harvesting, and other factors, there are less than 2,000 pandas remaining in the wild. In the wild, pandas only survive for 15 to 20 years, but in captivity, they can live much longer. By dispersing seeds and so fostering the growth of fresh vegetation that benefits both people and animals, panda bears contribute significantly to the ecosystem of China's bamboo forests. For this reason, it's critical to preserve the panda's habitat.

The low birth rate of pandas is one of the factors that contributes to their endangered condition. It makes sense that reproduction in the wild is more challenging for pandas because females are only fertile for two or three days out of the year. Approximately 27 zoos across the globe provide protection for giant pandas and create habitats that promote procreation. Protecting wild pandas' environment—especially the bamboo forests, which are their primary food source—is crucial to their survival.

The National Panda Day History

We might presume that, despite the fact that the origin of this holiday is unknown, it was established to raise public awareness of the pandas' natural beauty and prevent their extinction. Sir Peter Scott, one of the original founders of the World Wide Fund for Nature, stated that the panda is "an animal that is beautiful, endangered, and loved by many people in the world" when he designed the organization's emblem around it in 1961. The panda came to represent the global conservation movement, which calls for the protection of endangered species and the natural habitats that support our wild animals.

In 2020, pandas are deemed "vulnerable" to extinction because of zoo breeding programs, reforestation, and conservation measures. The giant panda is an essential component of our natural ecology, so even though they are no longer in danger of going extinct, it is still necessary to protect their habitat. Lately, there have been political discussions in China and around the world over how crucial it is to continue funding the breeding of pandas in captivity and safeguarding China's forests, which are home to the country's wild panda bears. A 2015 study by The Society for Conservation Biology found that protecting the giant panda's native habitat benefits 31% of amphibians, 70% of mammals, and 70% of forest birds in the nation. pandas.

Every year on March 16, people commemorate National Panda Day, which aims to raise public awareness and educate people about the current predicament that wild animals are experiencing.

China's national treasures are enormous pandas, who, with their black and white coats, symbolize harmony and yin and yang. The Minshan Mountains' woods are home to the majority of giant pandas.

Three human years are equivalent to one panda year.

Although there is some inaccuracy in directly comparing the lifespans of animals and humans using a single conversion rate, scientists believe that three panda years are roughly equivalent to four human years. Developmental stages and developmental patterns serve as the basis for this.

In the wild, giant pandas can live up to 18–20 years, while in zoos, they can live up to 25–30 years. The oldest panda on record, Xinxing (also known as "New Star"), lived for 38 years and 4 months (1982–2020), making her a unique instance.