Super panda fans, you wont a better chance to see real pandas than in Beijing!
Every day, curious visitors from around the world crowd the Panda House at the Beijing Zoo for a look at this clumsy, cute, and precious animal that China calls its national treasure. The zoo is just a short walk from a number of hotels in Beijing.
The zoo was opened in the early 1900s, around the last years of the Qing dynasty. It was Chinas first zoo ever. It is now home to nearly 6,000 animals and over 500 species. Some of the species are rarely seen out of China, such as golden monkeys, Siberian tigers, and of course, giant pandas.
The panda is obviously the big star here!
Some say the only thing in this world that is cuter than a panda is a panda wrestling with another panda! They are clumsy, with fuzzy hair and chubby legs, so they are so funny that you just cant stop laughing. One will bearhug another from behind, push, and they will roll around like a big meat ball. Sometimes when they are tired, they will lie on their chest, and stretch out their legs. Youll be wondering if these pandas are on their beach vacation, especially when you notice their amusing circles around their eyes look like sunglasses!
Pandas in the Beijing Zoo do know Kungfu, and their favorite sport? Climbing tree! When the weather is hot, they will climb up a high tree, and find themselves a shady spot for a nap.
Pandas are now vegetarians, and their favorite food is a special Jianzhu bamboo found only in Chinas Sichuan province, where most of Chinas pandas come from. However, pandas were carnivores a million years ago, and they preyed on unsuspecting smaller animals. The reason for this change is still unknown to zoologists.
The zoo allows panda lovers to donate money for the protection of this rare species in China. Today, only about 1,000 pandas still survive. The Chinese consider pandas a national treasure because pandas roamed the earth several millions of years ago, and few species from that time survive till this day. That is why people call it a living fossil. No wonder the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) chooses panda as its symbol.
On very rare occasions, the Chinese government gives pandas to a foreign country as a symbol of friendship. So if youve ever seen a panda in San Diego or Berlin, feel lucky.
Here in the Beijing Panda House, you are free to take photos, but remember pandas are shy, and dont let your flash scare them away.
If you have a little cash to spend, there are all kinds of panda gifts for you to bring home. A baby panda toy runs 50 to 60 RMB (about $10), a panda theme T-shirt goes for about 70 RMB, and a key chain with cute panda image sells for just 10 RMB.
Article Source: http://www.avidarticles.com