Do Baby Pandas or Baby Monkeys Make Good Pets?

Riley from the United States wrote:
can you ever get a baby panda as a pet or a baby monkey ?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Riley,

No, all pandas, including babies, are endangered species - very rare - and owned by the Chinese government. Even those pandas seen in zoos around the world are still the official property of China. Also, they would be very difficult to care for because they need to feed on a special kind of bamboo that grows in the mountains of China.

Sometimes you see people with monkeys as pets, but this is not a good idea.
They are cute, especially babies, but when they grow older they need to be wild. Wild animals always are happier and do best when living in the wilderness where they come from.


Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

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Where do giant pandas live?

Elizabeth from the United States wrote:
Where do giant pandas live?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Elizabeth.

Giant pandas live in a few isolated mountain ranges in the provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu in south-central China. They live in broadleaf and coniferous forests with a dense understory of bamboo, at elevations between 1,500 m and 3,000 m. Torrential rains, dense mists, and heavy cloud cover characterize these forests throughout much of the year. The giant panda has lived in bamboo forests for several million years. It is a highly specialized animal, with unique adaptations.

Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

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How much bamboo do pandas eat each day?

How much bamboo do pandas eat a day?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Marisca,

Bamboo is the giant panda's favorite food. Adult giant pandas will spend 10 to 16 hours a day finding and eating bamboo. They eat different parts of the plant depending on the time of year. In the summer and autumn, pandas munch mostly on leaves. Winter means a diet of tough stems. Spring provides tender, young bamboo shoots.

A giant panda’s digestive system is similar to that of a carnivore rather than an herbivore. Because bamboo does not provide much nutrition, a panda needs to eat a large amount of food. It may eat up to 20 kg of bamboo each day to get all the nutrients it needs.


Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

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Marisca from South Africa wrote:

Pandas

Haley from United States wrote:
Where do pandas live?


GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Haley,

There are two types of pandas - Giant pandas and Red pandas. Both types of pandas live in the mountain forests of southwest China. Red pandas also live in the mountain countries of the Himalayas - Nepal, Bhutan, India, Burma and Tibet.

For more about pandas look in Glossopedia by clicking on the two pictures below.

Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

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What Kinds of Pandas Are There?

Hayley from New Zealand wrote:
What kind of pandas lives in the wild and also in the zoos as well as china's bushes and native environment?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Hayley,

Two kinds of pandas live in the wild forests of China and in zoos, they are the Giant Panda and the Red Panda. You can find out more about each in our Glossopedia by clicking on the links below.

Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

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How big are baby pandas when they are first born?

Taliyah from the Arctic Ocean wrote:
How big are baby pandas when they are first born?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Taliyah,

Baby pandas are very small when they are first born - like kittens - about as big as your fist. The mother panda carries the baby in her mouth and cradles it in her paw.

You can get a better idea of their size if you look at the pictures in our Glossopedia article about giant pandas. You can get to the article by clicking on the picture below.

Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

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How Long Has the Oldest Panda Lived?

Madison from the United States wrote:
How long has the longest panda lived?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Madison,

The oldest living panda in captivity, named Changchang, was 35 years old when it died at a zoo in Eastern China on May 23, 2002. Changchang had lived 5 years longer than most pandas in captivity, and would have been between 75-85 in human years.

Thanks for your question!
GLOBIO's Traveling Teacher

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