The cuddly but rare anda

Press, 3 February 1981, Page 16

The cuddly but rare anda

The bear-like panda is a favourite cuddly toy but not many people have seen a real' one. It is not likely to be seen in its natural home, and only, a few live in captivity in some countries of the world. , The home of the giant panda is in the mountains of Western China where it feeds on shoots and leaves in bamboo forests, as its ancestors have done about 4000 years. ; Until': just over 100 years ago the panda was not known outside China. It was discovered first in 1869 by a French zoologist. Sixty years later a group of American scientists visited China and acquired two specimens for a Chicago museum. Once its existence was known the white-faced black "spectacled” panda became a celebrity. Zoos and museums all over the world were eager to have specimens of this rare and ancient animal, but not many were successful. Only nine pandas can be seen in zoos outside China. A pair which has attracted a lot of interest in th'e London zoo - was presented to Britain by the Chinese Government in 1974. A live panda is said to he worth . more than $20,000, but there are none for sale. The giant panda, one of the rarest animals in the world, has been left to the privacy of! its natural habitat, undisturbed by sight-seers and safe from hunters and traders. For this reason not much is known about its habits and behaviour.