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Active Voices
September 24th, 2009 by christo
The Giant Panda Bear,
The Panda Bear has many meanings to many people, to environmentalists; it can mean another imperilled species waiting to be saved from extinction, to the Chinese Republic; it is a proud national emblem, representing peace and placidity. But to me, the cuddly panda bear means happiness and good luck. When I think of the panda bear, I feel like I’ve gone away to a distant world, the docile nature and adorable spots take me away from the troubles of my day whilst my mind gently floats away in thoughts of humble and almost cherubic, pandas.
Sometimes I worry though, that in my lifetime, I may not get a chance to finally see these almost graceful creatures, not just at a zoo in Australia or America, but in their home habitat of China, where I feel people really appreciate their symbolism in Asia and how fascinating they really are. I worry because the panda only lives in the Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces in China. They have been classified as an endangered species and have been driven out of the lowland areas where they used to happily live; because of farming, cruel bamboo forest clearing (which means they have less bamboo to eat, bamboo making up 99% of their fussy diet) and modern development. There are only an alarming 2000 – 3000 pandas in the world, not nearly enough to take them from the doleful endangered species list.
Pandas are large and fluffy; with distinctive patches of black on their body, covering their paws, ears, tail and eyes, like two little pirates eye patches; they are mainly covered in a creamy white coloured fur around the rest of their bodies. When they are born they might only weigh 100 – 200 grams and measure a tiny 15 – 17 centimetres in length. When fully grown, pandas have the second longest tail in the extended bear family, measuring between 4 – 6 inches (150 millimetres). My favourite thing about the panda’s appearance would have to be their eyes, they may be small, but the eyes can tell you a lot, their pupils are vertical and thin like cats eyes, unlike the other members of the bear family that have round pupils. If I was to look into a panda’s eyes, I would see tranquillity and serenity.
Pandas have been kept in zoos for a long time, ever since the Western Han Dynasty in Ancient China, it was written that the panda was the most prized and treasured animal in the garden of exotic animals in Xi’an that belonged to the bygone Chinese emperor. Not until the 1950’s were these prodigious creatures recorded in zoos once more. Pandas are one of the most expensive animals to keep in zoos, five times more than a hefty African elephant.
To conclude my account of these marvellous creatures, the Giant Panda is my favourite creature of the wild because it is ethnic, has an amazing history and is just plain awesome.
Rebecca L Year 8
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on September 24th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
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