A panda is a large, distinctive black-and-white bear that lives in the bamboo forests of central China. Giant pandas spend most of their day eating bamboo, consuming up to 40 pounds of it daily because bamboo provides so little nutrition. They have strong jaw muscles and special teeth for crushing bamboo stalks, plus an extra “thumb” (actually an extended wrist bone) that helps them grip bamboo while eating.

Pandas are endangered, meaning there are very few left in the wild. Scientists and conservationists work hard to protect pandas and their bamboo forest habitat. China considers pandas a national treasure and has created special reserves where they can live safely.

There's also a smaller animal called the red panda, which looks completely different. Despite the shared name, red pandas are more closely related to raccoons than to giant pandas. They're reddish-brown, about the size of a house cat, and also eat bamboo.

When people say “panda” without specifying, they almost always mean the giant panda. These gentle bears have become symbols of wildlife conservation worldwide, their image appearing on everything from the World Wildlife Fund logo to countless stuffed animals.