The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca, literally " black and white cat - foot "; Chinese: 大熊猫; pinyin: dà xióng māo, literally "big bear cat "), also known as panda bear or simply panda, is a bear native to south centralChina. It is easily recognized by the large, distinctive black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. The name " giant panda" is sometimes used to distinguish it from the unrelated red panda. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the giant panda's diet is over 99% bamboo. Giant pandas in the wild will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents, or carrion. In captivity, they may receive honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, or bananas along with specially prepared food.
The giant panda lives in a few mountain ranges in centralChina, mainly in Sichuan, but also in neighbouring Shaanxi and Gansu. As a result of farming, deforestation, and other development, the giant panda has been driven out of the lowland areas where it once lived.
The giant panda is a conservation reliant vulnerable species. A 2007 report showed 239 pandas living in captivity inside China and another 27 outside the country.
