Giant Pandas

Quick Facts

Name: The Chinese call it the ‘big bear-cat’ (大熊猫 da xiongmao /dah-sshyong-maow/).
Size: 75 centimeters (2.5 foot) tall and 1.5 meters (5 foot) long

Weight: Up to 150 kg (330 lb)
Habitat: Central- Western and Southwest China.Mainly Sichuan. A few in Shaanxi and Gansu. See the map »
Diet: 99% bamboo. 13 kg (30 lb) or more a day.
Life Span: Up to 30 years in captivity, but usually only 15 to 20 years in the wild
Protection Status: Endangered. Estimates of giant panda numbers in the wild vary between 1,500 and 3,000.
Giant Panda Facts »

Giant Pandas Overview

A short video clip (30 seconds) of Giant Pandas at Chengdu Panda Base.

Increasingly used as the emblem of China, the cuddly and lovable giant panda lives nowhere else in the world outside captivity. The best place in the world to see giant pandas (seeing them in the wild is difficult and costly, but can also be arranged – contact us for a free quotation) is at the Panda Breeding Center in Chengdu.

Alongside the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army, the Li River, etc., China’s giant pandas are becoming a must see attraction of China. The panda is the logo for the WWF and is known as a national treasure in China. They have received excellent reviews from our previous customers. See the testimonials on our giant panda pages.

There are also giant pandas in zoos in various places around China: Beijing Zoo, Shanghai Zoo, and Seven Star Park Zoo, Guilin.

There are actually two species of giant panda: the typical giant panda, with its black and white coat, and the Qinling panda, with a dark brown and light brown coat, which only lives in the mountains of Shaanxi.

There is also another species of panda called the red panda, which is much smaller than the giant panda, and has reddish-brown fur.