Calling All Panda Coin Collectors

Giant Panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca

The animal we all know (and love) as the panda, the cuddly-looking, lumbering, black-and-white creature, is properly known as the Giant Panda. Always a rare animal, it was considered by the Chinese to be a semi-divine creature during the second century. Currently classified as being a member of the Ursidae (bear family), zoologists have suggested that it has its own family (Ailuropodidae), as its feet, skull, jaws and teeth are markedly different from bears. Indeed the name Ailuropod means "cat feet", referring to the catlike pads on its paws. It is unrelated to the red panda, which is a member of the raccoon family.

Native to China and Burma, the panda was discovered by Western scientists in 1869, when Armand David was shown panda furs, but it was not spotted in the wild until about 1914. Nowadays, hunting, and the destruction of its habitat, have reduced numbers in the wild to around 1,000, mostly in the bamboo forests in the Szechwan province of China (although some also live in Kansu and Shensi provinces). As it is an endangered species, the Chinese Government have designated these areas as nature preserves, and have instigated a protection program.

Growing to about 5 feet (1.5 metres) in length (about three feet tall at the shoulder when on the ground), and averaging around 200 pounds (95 kg), the panda lives only in bamboo forests, feeding almost exclusively on the young bamboo shoots. Its strong teeth and jaws are admirably equipped to deal with the tough growth, but its digestive system is not, being more akin to that of a carnivore. As a result, it must eat vast quantities in order to extract sufficient nutrients - in fact, a panda will typically eat between 30 and 65 pounds of bamboo a day (around a quarter of its own body weight), which takes up almost all its waking time!

Agile in the trees, the panda is relatively clumsy on the ground, either waddling or running in typically bear-like fashion. Although many consider them to be harmless and cuddly, they are formidable fighters when pressed, and capable of defending themselves admirably (they have no real predators, other then Man). Their hands have an unusual feature - a bony spur from the base of the wrist, which acts in the same way as a thumb. This enables them to manipulate their food efficiently - just as well when you consider the amount they must eat to survive!

Socially, pandas are generally solitary creatures, 'marking' their territory to alert other pandas. These territories do sometimes overlap, and encounters with neighbours are rarely hostile. They become sexually mature at age five or six, mating during the Spring, and giving birth after a gestation period of between four and five months. Newborn pandas are totally helpless, weighing in at about 4 ounces (100 g), and needing constant maternal attention. The young panda will open its eyes after about 6-7 weeks, and begins crawling a month later, after which it begins feeding itself.

[attachment=:name]