This photo was taken during my trip to Beijing, China in June of 2010 at its Giant Panda Zoo.
Panda or "Xiongmao" in Chinese term is the symbol of peace in China. They are large yet adorable, cuddly-looking - mostly shy solitary mammals. Giant Pandas are the rarest as well as the most endangered member of the bear family. They thrive mostly in central and western China, mainly in Sichuan, Shaaxi and Gansu province. They have strong and powerful teeth and they feed on bamboo shoots which is a tough diet for survival because bamboo species usually go through periodic die-offs after they flower and they die-off at the same time which will eventually result to pandas constant migration to another area where bamboo is flourishing. But today's modernization especially in China has greatly reduced the number of bamboo forests leaving most Giant Pandas to periodic starvation. This is one of the main reasons of them becoming endangered animal.
They are fast mover, not fast runner though. But it will be a surprise if you see them be faster than a human 100-meter dash champion in a sprint because they sometimes really do! They are also nimble-limbed especially when climbing trees.
That's about my travel photos Thursday on Giant Pandas. If you have travel photo to share on Thursdays, please leave a link on the comment box below so I can check it out too.
