Giant
pandas have big heads, heavy body, short tail, rounded ears and plantigrade
feet (both heel and toe makes contact with the ground while walking - similar
to humans). The ears, eye patches, legs and shoulder band are black while
the rest of the body is whitish.
Though the panda's coat looks furry and nice to touch, it not
really is - its fur feels oily and this oil substance protects and insulate
the panda from the cool and damp climate it lives in.
Pandas area generally solitary animals, even avoiding contact
with others of its kind. It is believed that their inconspicuous black
and white markings help them detect each other from afar thus avoiding
close contact with other pandas.
In the event of accidental meetings,
the panda will show its aggression by lowering their heads and staring
at their opponents eyes. The loser in this contest will put its head between
its front legs, often hind its eye-patches with its paws. Should push come
to shove, pandas show their anger by swiping with a paw, or by sounding
a low-pitched growl or bark.These self-defence trait is used on other animals
too including man.
Unlike the panda's long distance cousins, the grizzlies, black
and brown bears, pandas do not hibernate.Moreover, pandas can't walk on
their hind legs and only climb trees when threatened.
Pandas dislike water. Bathing is a rare occasion and even this,
they prefer to waddle instead of diving in.So they must be dirty animals,
right? No, the clean themselves by scratching their backs against hard
objects such as tree barks and big rocks like "Baloo" in the animated movie
"Jungle Book", remember bear nessecities?