endangered animals

The panda is among the most beautiful animals on Earth. It's a worldwide symbol of conservation. At one time, scientists didn't know whether it was related to bears, raccoons, or of its own animal group. The animal is shy and large, standing 6 feet tall and weighing 165 pounds. It doesn't hibernate and plays even when it is an adult. Its habitat is in central China, in the area's mountain forests, existing only in six different ones, where the climate is cool. The panda eats about 22 pounds of bamboo each day. They also eat plants, fish, rodents, and a few other things. Female pandas don't usually mature until around 5 to 7 years of age. They start mating in late March and continues until May. Like other bear families, the female stays in heat for about 2 to 7 days. The males are like other male bears, roaring to announce that they are ready to mate. The female may mate with another male. When the cubs are born, they are blind. They only weigh anywhere from three to four-and-a-half ounces, and about the size of a chipmunk. They are pure white when they are born, but the'll gain their black spots at one month of age. They begin to eat bamboo around 5 to 6 months of age, and weigh about 75 pounds at age one. Many cubs in the wild do not reach adult life. The panda is endangered because its food supply is being destroyed, and they are being hunted for their fur. Scientists have made special communities for pandas to live and grow in. China has a large protected area , where about 100 pandas live. Each one has its own home and a bamboo field close by to provide food. Zoos also help protect the pandas. The panda is such a beautiful animal that it is sad that they may not be around much longer. It's also sad that people are the cause, when the bear needs a protected home. Resources: 1. Pandas by Norman Berrett, 1998 Franklin Watts Ltd. 2. Animals in Danger by Peter Sloan and Sheryl Sloan, 1996 Sundance 3. Animal Reports by Peter Sloan and Sheryl Sloan, 1996 Sundance 4. Will We Miss Them by Alexandra Wright, 1992 Charlesbridge 5. http://www.animalplanet.com 6. http://www.AJKID.com	Vertaling volgt

[ Back to Index ]	[ Overzicht ]
Written by: Brittany	(geschreven door)