Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a bear species native to south-central China. It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. The Giant Panda is known for its diet primarily consisting of bamboo, though it will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents, or carrion. Despite its taxonomic classification as a carnivore, bamboo accounts for 99% of its diet.
Classification of the Giant Panda:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Ailuropoda
Species: A. melanoleuca
Giant Pandas are an international symbol of conservation, currently listed as a "Vulnerable" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Conservation efforts, including habitat restoration and the establishment of panda reserves in China, have contributed to an increase in their population in the wild.
