“Plush” appearance and bamboo diet - this is how most people who know this animal imagine a panda from charming photos and mercilessly exploited stylized images. However, one should not forget that this is primarily a bear, and even keeping in captivity does not kill the habits of a predator in it.
Are pandas dangerous for humans? This, of course, is of interest to tourists traveling to China, visitors to zoos and just curious people. To answer this question, it is important to know that pandas are also different: black and white and red.
Panda
This is the name of the small (red) panda - a predator the size of a cat with bright red fur and a surprisingly long fluffy tail.
The cat bear is the only member of the panda family. This beast lives in South Asia. In the afternoon he sleeps in shelter, curled up in a ball and covered with a fluffy tail, and at dusk goes in search of young shoots of bamboo, and when there is a shortage of basic food, he eats bird eggs and small rodents.
The Little Panda is an extremely peaceful animal that never attacks a person, and in case of danger, cleverly scrambles along the trunk and hides in the crowns of trees.
Despite the fact that the species is on the verge of extinction, the cat bear is kept in 85 zoos in the world and reproduces well in captivity, unlike its large namesake.
Bamboo bear
This is just the usual teddy beast - a big panda or, as it was called before, a spotted bear.
This beast is not related to the panda family and panda family, but is a representative of the bear family. His closest relative is the South American Spectacled Bear, who also prefers plant foods.
However, it is not true that the big panda eats exclusively bamboo. The stomach of the predator digests both coarse slivers of the plant, and birds, small animals and carrion.
To find out if a panda is dangerous to humans, it will not hurt to ask about the lifestyle of this beast.
Where does the bamboo bear live?
The species of large pandas forms 2 subspecies, which differ in color, size and area of habitat:
- If you want to meet a large panda in black and white, go to Sichuan, China. These bears live here, with a length of up to 2 m and a weight of about 160 kg.
- Representatives of the second subspecies live in the mountains of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. These are smaller pandas and they are not black and white, but brown with gray.
Most of the time, these bears eat bamboo, because an adult animal needs up to 30 kg of feed per day. In lean years, for example, in 1975 and 1983, many pandas died of starvation. Because despite the relative omnivorous nature, these animals are very dependent on bamboo.
Random encounters of a panda and a person for the most part end safely. The instinct of self-preservation causes animals to hide in bamboo thickets in case of danger. However, do not forget that the big panda is primarily a predator that can fight back no worse than its bear relatives.
Big panda weapon
The idealized appearance of a teddy bear creates a misleading impression that kindness itself is in front of you. However, the powerful jaws of a large panda hide strong teeth, capable of chewing not only bamboo. And her sharp claws can cause serious harm to the offender.
Is a panda dangerous for a person if you meet a beast in nature? Like any predator, an animal can attack while being sick or hungry. And of course, the bear will stand up for itself if it is driven into a corner. Only the people of China are unlikely to think of purposefully pursuing a large panda. Firstly, this species is listed in the international Red Book. And secondly, the killer panda faces the death penalty.
Nevertheless, injuries after a collision with a bamboo bear were recorded and sadly, most of them relate to animals that are kept in captivity.
