0_Wizard
Giant pandas are adorable. Those pandas from south central China make me smile. Do you like them?
The giant panda ("Ailuropoda melanoleuca", "black and white cat-foot"; , "big bear cat"), also known as panda bear or simply panda, is a bear native to south central China.
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Giant panda
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Giant panda
The giant panda ("Ailuropoda melanoleuca", "black and white cat-foot"; , "big bear cat"), also known as panda bear or simply panda, is a bear native to south central China. It is easily recognized by the large, distinctive black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes used to distinguish it from the unrelated red panda. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the giant panda's diet is over 99% bamboo. Giant pandas in the wild will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents, or carrion. In captivity, they may receive honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, or bananas along with specially prepared food.
Giant pandas around the world
Currently, there are 25 zoos in 17 countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China (Hong Kong), France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom (Scotland), and United States) that have giant pandas. Finland received its first two pandas in January 2018. These zoos have contracts with China to house these pandas for a few years. Giant pandas are on the IUCN Red List so part of the reason these contracts exist between China and international zoos, is to try to help the species reproduce before they are brought back to their native land.
Chengdu
Chengdu (), formerly romanized as Chengtu, is a sub-provincial city which serves as the capital of China's Sichuan province. It is one of the three most populous cities in Western China (the other two are Chongqing and Xi'an). , the administrative area houses 14,427,500 inhabitants, with an urban population of 10,152,632. At the time of the 2010 census, Chengdu was the 5th-most populous agglomeration in China, with 10,484,996 inhabitants in the built-up area including Xinjin County and Deyang's Guanghan City. The surrounding Chengdu Plain is also known as the "Country of Heaven" () and the "Land of Abundance".
Panda diplomacy
Panda diplomacy is China's use of giant pandas as diplomatic gifts to other countries. The practice existed as far back as the Tang Dynasty, when Empress Wu Zetian (625–705) sent a pair of pandas to the Japanese emperor. The People's Republic of China used panda diplomacy in the 1950s and has become known in recent decades for this practice. From 1958 to 1982, China gave 23 pandas to nine different countries. One highlight of panda diplomacy was the Chinese government's gift of two pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, to the United States in 1972 after President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China (President Nixon reciprocated by sending back a pair of musk oxen).
Baylisascaris shroederi
Baylisascaris shroederi, common name giant panda roundworm, is a roundworm (nematode), found ubiquitously in giant pandas of central China, the definitive hosts. Baylisascaris larvae in paratenic hosts can migrate, causing visceral larva migrans (VLM). Baylisascariasis is characterized by the zoonotic infection of Baylisascaris roundworm humans, no cases have ever been reported globally. It is extremely dangerous to the host due to the ability of the parasite's larvae to migrate into brain tissue and cause damage. Concern for human infection is minimalized as there are very few giant pandas living today and most people do not encounter giant pandas in their everyday activities.
National Zoological Park (United States)
The National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo, is one of the oldest zoos in the United States. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution and does not charge for admission. Founded in 1889, its mission is to "provide engaging experiences with animals and create and share knowledge to save wildlife and habitats". The National Zoo has two campuses. The first is a urban park located at Rock Creek Park in Northwest Washington, D.C., 20 minutes from the National Mall by MetroRail. The other campus is the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI; formerly known as the Conservation and Research Center) in Front Royal, Virginia.
Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo is a zoo located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded by Hugh A. Crothers, an industrialist who became the first Chairman of the Metro Toronto Zoological Society in 1966, the zoo opened on August 15, 1974 as the "Metropolitan Toronto Zoo", or simply "Metro Toronto Zoo", and is owned by the City of Toronto. The word "Metropolitan" was dropped from its name when the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was amalgamated to the current city in 1998. The zoo is located near the Rouge River, along the western border of Rouge Park in the city's east end district of Scarborough. Encompassing , the Toronto Zoo is the largest zoo in Canada.
1_Apprentice
I love pandas. They are so cute. Are they an important part of Asian culture?