The national animal of China is the giant panda. These iconic bears are well known as one of China’s most beloved animal both domestically and internationally. They are an important symbol of the natural Chinese landscape and have been used as mascots and emblems in many different contexts in China.
The giant panda is perhaps one of the most instantly recognizable animals in the world.
They have become iconic globally and have captured the hearts of people all over the world.
They are only found in China and so it is entirely unsurprising that they should become the nation’s animal.
Let’s find out more.
What is the national animal of China?
The national animal of China is the giant panda.
Giant pandas are iconic all over the world, but importantly they are only found in the wild in China.
This still gives them a fairly large historic range given the size of China, but nonetheless it is important to note that you won’t find them anywhere else in the world.
They favor China’s warm mountains and the abundant bamboo that can be found there, which is generally the only thing they eat.
They are particularly characterized by their fur; they have very bold black and white fur that is not like any other extant bear.
As mentioned, bamboo is very important to pandas, and usually makes up around 99% of their whole diet.
They are what is called a folivore, meaning they are specialized for eating leaves.
Bamboo shoots make up the bulk of what they eat though they will sometimes eat other plant matter like leaves, grasses, and tubers.
They will, occasionally, eat meat, in the form of carrion or rodents.
However, the ease of finding bamboo as opposed to the difficulty of hunting has made them generally prefer the bamboo.
They live in a few mountain ranges in China, primarily in the Sichuan region.
They can also be found in the Shaanxi and Gansu regions, though their historical range has been greatly diminished by farming, deforestation, and in general human encroachment onto their territory.
This species is certainly under threat, then, but more on that later.
The precise classification of pandas has been a matter of debate, as they share traits with not only bears but racoons as well.
Indeed, the name “giant panda” is used mostly to distinguish them from the much smaller red pandas.
Molecular studies, though, show that the giant panda is a true bear.
Why, then, is the panda such an important Chinese symbol?
Why is the panda the national animal of China?
Often, when a country chooses an animal as its national animal, there might be a number of reasons around grand values like courage, faith, freedom, strength and pioneering.
In China, the panda certainly does embody these things to an extent, but the actual reasons that this is the national animal of China are quite different.
For one thing, pandas are simply considered to be a very charismatic animal, one that inspires a lot of affection in people.
The Chinese feel the panda to be their own, naturally, since it lives in China exclusively.
On the other hand, you do also have the question of conservation.
This is very often a factor that influences the decision to make a given animal the national animal.
Pandas are profoundly threatened by a number of factors, and so by making the panda the national animal it is far easier to highlight the plight of the animal.
So, by making the panda the national animal, China hopes to inspire further conservation efforts.
The animal, then, is both an important national symbol and mascot and something that the local people wish to protect.
How many giant pandas are left?
Fortunately, giant panda populations are actually increasing worldwide.
They are still listed as vulnerable and a lot of work needs to be done to ensure their longevity, but things currently are certainly looking better than they once were.
Precise estimates are naturally hard to achieve, but the most widely agreed on estimate is that there are around 1800-1900 wild pandas left in China.
The pandas face a lot of issues such as deforestation and farming, all of which have contributed to its declining population.
In 2016, the species was classified as endangered, but has since moved back up to only vulnerable.
The species, then, is bouncing back.
How aggressive are pandas?
Giant pandas in general are not that aggressive.
They aren’t usually interested in attacking or even bothering humans and will just stay out of their way wherever possible.
Indeed, despite appearances, this is generally true of most bears including more dangerous examples like grizzlies.
In the wild they would much prefer to avoid a confrontation with a human than get aggressive with one.
That said, if a panda has no choice for whatever reason, then they will not hesitate to defend themselves and attack you if necessary.
They may be gentle giants, but they are still bears and can hurt you if they need to!
Though their future may hang in the balance, at present pandas are still going strong in China.
Their natural range has been greatly diminished compared to what it once was, but nonetheless they continue to hold on to their precarious existence in China’s mountains.
With concerted conservation efforts in the coming years the panda’s numbers could easily bounce back and we can save these beautiful creatures from the same fate that so many other unfortunate animals have suffered.