Giant pandas are native to central and western China and live mainly on bamboo. Their numbers have declined due to habitat loss and fragmentation from human activities like deforestation. Other threats include low birth rates, food shortages, inbreeding, and poaching. While China has established nature reserves and breeding programs to help giant pandas, their survival remains at risk without continued conservation efforts.

1. Getting Started Lesson Nine Imagine

2. A life without nature’s beauty

3. A life without the simple things

4. A life without the things ---make us smile

5. How come it would be?

6. A race against time

7. A gift from God

8. Have existed since the Pleistocene Era (about 600,000 years ago)

9. Delightful Captivating Yet only 15,000 are left in the world

10. What can we do before letting nature’s beauty slide into extinction? Protect them from disappearing. Before we can help them, we have to know more about them first! Yes!

11. Let’s check! How much do you know about ?

12. Panda Giant panda Are they really giant? 40 What do we call this ? X = Actually,

13. 1. Which do the Chinese call giant pandas, “large bear-cats” or “large cat-bears”? Both The giant panda is also known as the panda bear or bamboo bear. In fact, its scientific name “Ailuropoda Melanoleuca” means “black and white cat-footed animal.” What leaded to this result? Guess!

14. 2. Are giant pandas..? or bears cats

15. What are the reasons that make you think giant pandas belong in the cat family rather than the bear family? (1) Most bears’ eyes have round pupils. The exception is the giant panda, whose pupils are vertical ( 垂直的 ) slites( 裂縫 ), like cats’ eyes.

16. (2) Giant pandas do not hibernate ( 冬眠 ).

17. Why do you think that giant pandas are bears? 1.Giant pandas are bear-like in shape and they are famous for the dark circles around their eyes. In addition, their ears, shoulder bands, arms and legs are also covered in dark hair; while the rest of its body is white. 2.Giant pandas have a rolling gait ( 步伐 ) just like other bears.

18. For years scientists have wondered whether pandas are bears, raccoons, or in a group all their own. Through studying the genetic code (DNA) in pandas’ cells, scientists have confirmed the panda’s relation with bears. Giant pandas are similar to other bears in their general looks, the way they walk and climb, and their skull characteristics. Giant pandas are bears.

20. 3. What are the physical characteristics of the giant panda? A big head A heavy body Two rounded ears A short tail (approximately 12.7cm.)

21. Giant pandas are white with black patches( 斑點 ) around the eyes, ears, shoulders, chest, legs, and feet.

22. Weight between 80 and 125 kilograms about the same size as the American black bear. About 160 to 180 centimeters long

23. Giant pandas have slit-like pupils similar to a snake’s eyes. This allows them to see in the dark.

24. Which one is giant panda’s paw? A B C D cat paw black bear paw giant panda paw polar bear paw

25. Giant pandas have very unusual front paws---- one of the wrist bones is enlarged and elongated( 延長 ) and is used like a thumb, enabling the giant panda to grasp stalks of bamboo. opposable thumb

26. Pandas have very thick, oily, woolly fur that keeps them warm in their cold, wet mountain habitat.

27. No Pandas are always black and white but no two pandas look exactly alike as there are small differences in their markings. 4.Could two pandas look exactly alike?

28. 5. What is life span of giant pandas in the wild? About 25 years. Pandas in the wild live about 25 years while those in captivity will live to be about 30. The oldest living Giant Panda is in Wuhan zoo, China and is an unbelievable 36 years old.

29. Giant pandas feed mainly on bamboo, consuming up to 38 kilograms a day. 6. What is the giant panda’s main food? Bamboo

30. What else do giant pandas eat? Grown up pandas may eat as much as 40 pounds each day. Forty pounds is about as much as a Kindergarten student weighs! grass fruits flower honey fish insect rodent Green corn

31. Do they eat a lot? How long do they eat a day? At least 12 hours Poor-nutrition Yes! Since bamboo does not contain much nutrient ( 營養物 ), pandas must eat a large quantity to have enough nutrition. In addition, because of their relatively narrow and short intestines ( 腸子 ), pandas cannot digest bamboo very well. Thus, giant pandas spend a lot of their waking hours eating bamboos.

32. Because of bamboo’s natural phenomenon---periodic die-off Is there an enough supply of bamboo for giant pandas to eat ? No! Every 60 years or so the bamboo in a certain area may naturally bloom and die off. It will take several years for the new bamboo shoots to grow back. During this time, many wild pandas have to search for other areas to live in.

33. 7. What is the habitat of the panda? In the wild, giant pandas only live in a few mountain ranges in central and western China, mainly in Sichuan ( 四川 ), Shaanxi ( 陜西 ), and Gansu ( 甘肅 ) provinces. 四川 甘肅 陜西

34. The natural habitat of the giant panda is cool, wet, cloudy mountain forest land where bamboo grows. Giant pandas are found in mixed deciduous( 每年落葉的 )/evergreen temperate forests, between 3,000 and 10,500 feet in altitude( 海拔 ). Pandas used to also live at lower altitudes.

35. Because of the rapid growth of population in China, large areas of natural forest in pandas’ habitat cleared for agriculture, timber, and human habitation, panda habitat inevitably disappears. Deforestation also caused giant pandas’ habitat fragmentation. That directly leads to the greater risk of inbreeding for giant pandas. From now on, it’s difficult for them to find appropriate mates. 8. Is there enough living space for giant pandas? No!

36. Pandas are mostly shy, solitary animals. They live most of their lives alone. A small group of pandas may share a large feeding territory( 領土 ), usually only meeting to breed. 9. Do giant pandas like to live alone or together? Alone

37. 11. How long is giant pandas’ gestation( 懷孕 ) period? 4 to 5 months 10. When do they mate? From mid-March to mid-May 12. How many cubs do they give birth to once at most? Two 13. Can two cubs all survive? No!

38. When the cub is first born, it weighs only about 100 grams ( lighter than an apple). It has no fur and is blind for the first six weeks. During this time the mother does not leave the cub’s side. She has to spend much time licking the cub so that it will not have any smell that might attract predators ( 掠奪者 ). 14.How do Giant pandas raise panda babies?

40. A very low birthrate Food shortages The natural habitat loss and fragmentation A great risk of inbreeding Poaching ( 盜獵 ) What are the main threats to us today?

41. What has China been doing to improve giant panda’s natural living environment and to increase its number? Cooperating with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) , China has been working to develop reserves in the mountains of China and to start breeding programs in zoos around the world. Thanks to their unyielding dedication, there has been 45 giant pandas born in captivity since 1997. Today, breeding in captivity enjoys a high success rate.

42. need our help! Many lives also

43. Formosan black bear

44. Blue whale

45. Formosan rock monkey

46. Green turtle

47. Jaguar

48. Rhinoceros

49. Asian elephant black-faced spoonbill Masou formosanus Bengal tiger

50. What can we do to protect endangered animals from extinction? Let’s take action!

51. Ways 8

52. Way 1

53. Reject medicines and formulas ( 處方 ) that use endangered species or animal ingredients ( 原料 ). Way 1

54. Way 2

55. Way 2 Donate money to funds

56. Way 3

57. Way 3 Replant trees.

58. Way 4

59. Join a group who helps endangered animals. Way 4

60. Way 5

61. Way 5 Adopt endangered animals.

62. Way 6

63. Report violators who illegally buy, sell or use endangered species. Way 6

64. Way 7

65. If you see any endangered animals, or any animals at all, try to help that animal the best that you can. Way 7

66. Way 8

67. Write letters to the government and ask to stop over hunting. Way 8

68. If nothing is done,…..

73. They will be extinct.

74. To imagine a world without animals is…….

75. to see our own life lacking in meaning and excitement.

76. We should treasure our environment along with all its living forms before it is too late.

77. Extinction is forever. Because……..