You should know this about Pandas

 

Giant pandas reproduce very slowly, and infant mortality is high

The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca "black-and-white cat-foot") is a mammal now usually classified in the bear family, Ursidae, that is native to central China.The Giant Panda lives in mountainous regions, like

Sichuan and Tibet. The Giant Panda is the symbol of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a conservation organization. Toward the latter half of the 20th century, the panda also became somewhat of a national emblem for China, and is now used in Chinese gold coins.

Despite being taxonomically a carnivore, their diet is overwhelmingly herbivorous. They eat shoots and leaves, living almost entirely on bamboo. Pandas are also known to eat eggs and some insects along with their bamboo diet. These are necessary sources of protein.

Giant pandas reproduce very slowly, and infant mortality is high. Growth is slow and pandas may not reach sexual maturity until they are from five to seven years old. The mating season usually takes place from mid-March to mid-May. During this time, up to two to five males can compete for one female; the male with the highest rank gets the female. When mating, the female is in a crouching, head-down position as the male mounts from behind. Copulation time is short, ranging from thirty seconds to five minutes, but the male may mount repeatedly to ensure successful fertilization. Mating is also a very noisy time, accompanied by moaning and squealing.

The whole gestation period ranges from 83 to 163 days, with 135 days being the average. Baby pandas weigh only 90 to 130 grams, which is about 1/900th of the mother’s weight, which is the biggest proportion in difference of the mother’s and child’s weight in all animals. Usually, the female panda gives birth to one to two panda cubs. Since the baby panda is born very small and helpless, they need the mother’s undivided attention, so she is only able to care for one of her cubs. She usually abandons her weaker cub in a cave or tree, and it dies soon after birth.