Panda fact - unique nature

Although pandas gradually adapt to feeding on plants such as the bamboo in high mountains after hundreds of years of life endurance, they retain the habits of the carnivore such as the tiger, and leopard, etc., and live alone and scattered, rather than living in herds with close cooperation with their kind like other plant-feeding animals. Therefore, the panda is called 'the recluse in the bamboo forest'. So pandas are somehow eccentric in disposition. They like wandering around. However, they do not migrate in long distance. The panda always stays around its own home, playing around in its independent kingdom all day long. It can eat at anytime, and sleep at any place. It is really 'the easygoing'. However, in warm spring seasons, the pandas come out of their kingdoms and chase after the love. They may pursue each other, and then fall in love and get 'married'. Afterwards, they return separately to their individual territories, and live their own lives with perseverance. This happens once a year.

In addition, pandas are not afraid of coldness or dampness, and they never hibernate. Some people think that pandas must be afraid of the coldness because their ancestors used to live in the south of our country. Actually, the mankind forced their ancestors to a corner long time ago, and the current generation is not afraid of any thing due to the adaptation. They even don't hibernate in winters. Even when the ambient temperature is between -4 and -14'C, pandas still climb through the bamboo forest which is pressed low by thick white snow, as if they are living in a white tent. They are not afraid of dampness, and like to live all year long in damp and dark places with humidity greater than 80%. But, the only thing is that they hate to be blown by winds. However, people can be totally worry-free, because the forest and bamboos which surround the panda's living place can act as shields to block the wind away, even the typhoon of level 12.

Pandas are also fond of drinking water. Their homes are always beside the river or springs, so that it's easy for them to happily drink the clear spring nearby. Even in winter, rather than relieving the thirst by ice and snow, the panda still tries to look for a running stream or non-freezing spring for drinking. If the spring is covered with a thin layer of ice, the panda will shatter the ice with its palm. If the spring is clogged by sands and stones, it will use its claws to dig a shallow water pit for licking. The panda climbs to the water source in the shortest route every day, so that a clear path often forms on the ground. Occasionally, the panda has to climb a long way to the valley for water, because it hates to abandon its beautiful dwelling place with plenty of food supply and good hiding sites. Sometimes, because the panda is very thirsty due to a certain illness, it will try hard to find a water source, and then indulge in water so much that it will finally behave like a drunken man, either lying by the stream, or reluctantly staggering away. There is a tale in the panda's hometown to explain this phenomenon, that because the panda sees its mirror image in water when drinking, it feels so curious that it takes another sip of the water trying to find the cause, and at this moment its image appears again, and the panda feels that it is very interesting, and drinks the water again. Finally the panda becomes too 'drunken' to move. A lot of people call this phenomenon as a panda playing with the water. Besides, pandas have the ability of wading and swimming. Someone saw a panda swimming across the Baishui River to get to Yaodu on the other side in Qingchuan, Sichuan, and another saw a panda swimming across the swift Pitiao River in Wolong.

Pandas are also good at climbing trees, and they are fond of playing around, too. The behavior of tree climbing normally occurs when the mating period is coming, or when a panda tries to escape from the danger, or when a weaker panda encounters a stronger one, and the weaker tries to escape. Sometimes, the panda climbs down to the valley and goes into the mountain village, or even gets inside a house, and then the panda plays around with the kitchen utensils as its toys, especially such round stuff as the pot, basin, and barrel. Afterwards, it discards them in the wildness. Sometimes, the panda even plays with domestic animals such as the sheep, and pig, etc, and then it eats and sleeps together with them.

In normal situations, it is always very tender and tame, just like a shy lady. When the panda meets strangers, it often covers its face with the palm, or lowers its head to hide the face. Therefore, the panda is also called the 'miss panda'. The panda seldom has the initiative to attack other animals or human beings. If it happens to encounter a human in the wildness, it always tries to avoid direct contact. However, it's another case when the panda becomes a mother. The mother panda is very easy to be irritated, using her teeth and claws to protect her little baby, even whensome visitors are just trying to see her baby for care purposes. Sometimes the panda likes dressing itself, or doing some actions to get comforts. For an example, the panda can stretch its body to relax, with the front body extended and back body raised, just like a cat is doing. Besides, the panda can stretch its front limbs and yawns after waking up. If the panda is soaked by water, or after it wades across a river, it can shake off the water on the body like a dog.