Giant Panda for Kids Ages 6-8

Giant Panda

I am a Giant Panda living in the mountains of China. My black and white coat helps me stay warm and hide in my bamboo forest home. I spend most of my day eating bamboo, using a special wrist bone that works like a thumb to hold the stalks. After people learned about us in 1869, they began to protect our homes, helping our numbers grow. I help my forest thrive by spreading seeds, which helps new plants grow for everyone.

First described to Western science 1869

Adopted as WWF Logo c. 1961

Classified as Endangered 1990

A Panda's Story

Hello there! I am a Giant Panda, and I want to tell you my story. Have you ever seen a coat like mine? It’s covered in big patches of soft black and white fur. This special coat isn't just for looks; it's very useful! I live high up in the cool, misty mountains of central China, where tall bamboo forests stretch as far as I can see. My thick, woolly fur is like wearing a warm sweater all the time, which is perfect for when the air gets chilly. The black and white patches on my coat also help me blend in with the shadows of the forest and the snowy patches on the ground. When I am sitting among the rocks and trees, it can be hard to spot me. This helps me stay safe while I go about my day in my beautiful and peaceful mountain home.

My favorite thing in the whole world is food, especially my favorite snack: bamboo! It's so crunchy and delicious, and I can eat it all day long. And I do! I spend almost my entire day, sometimes up to 12 hours, just sitting and munching on bamboo shoots and leaves. That's more time than you spend at school and sleeping combined! I have to eat a whole lot of it to get all the energy I need to climb and explore my mountain home. You might wonder how I can hold onto the slippery bamboo stalks so well. It’s a bit tricky, but I have a secret tool. I was born with a special wrist bone that sticks out from my paw. It works just like a thumb! This 'false thumb' helps me get the perfect grip on a stalk so I can bring it to my mouth for a big bite. It’s very handy! While some animals live in big family groups, I enjoy my quiet time. I am a solitary animal, which means I like to live by myself. I spend my days peacefully wandering through my forest home, searching for the tastiest bamboo patches. When I find a good spot, I just sit down and munch, munch, munch. It's a simple and calm life, but it’s the perfect life for a panda like me.

For a long time, not many people outside of China knew about us pandas. That started to change on March 11th, 1869. On that day, a kind man and explorer named Armand David was shown one of our black and white skins. He was so amazed that he shared our story with people all over the Western world, and soon, everyone wanted to learn more about the gentle giants of the bamboo forest. Knowing about us helped people realize that our forest homes were shrinking and that we needed help. People started working very hard to protect the forests where I live. They planted more bamboo and created safe spaces for us to roam. Their hard work paid off! In 2016, there were enough of us pandas again that we were no longer considered 'endangered.' It was a very happy time for us. I do my part to help the forest, too. As I wander and eat, I spread seeds from the plants and bamboo all through the forest in my droppings. This helps new trees and plants grow, making the forest healthy for all the animals who live here.