The giant panda, or known as the panda is a bear native to central-western and south western China. The giant panda is recognized from it's black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and around it's large body. All though it is in the carnivore family 99% of it's diet is bamboo. Pandas in the wild will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents or carrion. Even in captivity they may receive honey, eggs, fish, shrub leaves, oranges or even bananas along with specially prepared feed.
The giant panda lives in very few mountain ranges in central China, mainly in Sichuan province, but also in the Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Due to farming, deforestation and other development, the panda was been driven out of lowland areas where it once lived. The giant panda is now on the endangered species list. A 2007 report shows 239 pandas living in capacity inside China and another 27 outside the country.
