Animal Guide

Giant Panda

2 destinations · 2 states

Native Range: Central China

Giant pandas have a way of slowing down an exhibit. Much of the action revolves around bamboo, but watching one eat is more entertaining than it sounds. A panda may sit almost like a person, gripping stalks with its paws and stripping away leaves before crunching through tougher sections. That grip is helped by an enlarged wrist bone that works a bit like a thumb. Between meals, pandas may climb, stretch across logs, investigate scents, or settle into sleeping positions that look surprisingly awkward for such a large animal. Younger pandas can be especially playful, tumbling and scrambling over branches with far more agility than their round bodies suggest. Their famous black-and-white coat also makes small movements easy to notice, from twitching ears to careful paw work. In the wild, giant pandas live in cool mountain forests where dense bamboo shapes nearly every part of their daily routine.

Giant Panda

Where to see Giant Panda

2 destinations across 2 states

2 destinations

San Diego Zoo

San Diego, CA

Smithsonian National Zoological Park

Washington, DC

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