Bambusbär oder Großer Panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca (David, 1896)
English: Giant Panda; French: Panda Géant, Grand Panda; Chinese: Da-xong-mao.
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Former distribution: All over China with subalpine forest and dense "chinacane" bamboo habitats.
Present distribution: Northern and central Sichuan (Szechwan), in the southern part of the Gansu (Kansu) province and on the southern border of the Shaanxi (Shensi) province in the area of the Chiling mountains.
Behaviour: Preferred habitat: cool, damp, bamboo forest at altitudes of 2000-3000 m. Giant Pandas are usually solitary; they do not hibernate. The diet consists mainly of bamboo shoots, but occasionally they take other plants and grasses, fish and rodent.
Population status: In the wild about 1000; in the Wanglang Nature Reserve in the Mishan Mountains, Pingwu county, north-west of Sichuan (Szechwan) about 200. Its numbers are declining. Endangered.
Brief notes:
Body weight: 75-160 kg
Head and body length: 150-180 cm
Tail length: 10-15 cm
Shoulder height: 70-80 cm
Gestation period: 125-150 days
Maximum age: 30 years in captivity
Trophy: Skull, no records.
Hunting methods: Formerly by stalking, now protected by law.
Remarks: A total number of appr. 50 are in captivity in various zoological gardens. Unfortunately the losses in captivity are very high. It is, therefore no longer acceptable that these rare animals should be kept in zoos, purely for the amusement of human beings. It is also inexcusable to offer pandas as gifts to distinguished dignitaries, when they visit China. Unfortunately the poaching of pandas is still going on. The existing populations are in danger of extinction due to the dieback of their essential food plant such as the bamboo (Sinarundinaria nitida), which takes places every 100 years. Transplantation of Pandas to other bamboo areas is urgently required. The Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) and all Coatis are omitted here.
Bilder:
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