How long do giant pandas live, and where do they mainly live?

The giant panda——the only mammal in the order Carnivora, family Ursidae, subfamily Ailuropodinae, and genus Ailuropoda. It has round cheeks, large black eye patches, a chubby body, and a signature pigeon-toed way of walking, though some do not follow the usual path and prefer to walk splay-footed. It is one of the most adorable animals in the world. So how long do giant pandas live? Where do they mainly live?

1. How long do giant pandas live?

According to records, the lifespan of an ordinary giant panda is generally 25 years, which is equivalent to a human living to 70 years old. The longest-lived panda only ever reached 37 years, with no higher record, so the average panda lifespan is only 25 years.

There is another claim that wild giant pandas live 18 to 20 years, while those in captivity can exceed 30 years.

Newborns are quite underdeveloped at birth, weighing only 0.1% of their mother's body weight. Newborn cubs are very light, with an average birth weight of about 145 grams, roughly one thousandth of an adult giant panda's weight; the lightest is 51 grams, and the heaviest is 225 grams. In the wild, if twins are born (in captivity, the proportion of giant pandas giving birth to twins is nearly 50%), the mother panda usually ignores or rejects the weaker one, which ensures that at least one survives. In captivity, artificial rearing is carried out, and cub-swapping techniques are used to ensure that as many giant panda cubs as possible survive.

2. Where do giant pandas mainly live?

Everyone knows that the giant panda is our national treasure, and everyone knows that the national treasure mainly lives in Sichuan. But do you know where the world's first giant panda was discovered? The answer is Ya'an, Sichuan. In 1869, the first giant panda went out from Ya'an to the world, and today Ya'an is also the region with the largest stock of live giant pandas in the country. In Baoxing County, Ya'an, the primitive forests are dense and the natural scenery is beautiful, with the main peak at an altitude of 4930 m. The scenic area stands out for its alpine lakes, Red Army relics, and ethnic customs, and the combination of the Daxue Mountain and the semi-wild giant panda release and protection zone makes the natural ecology combine ingeniously to form a dynamic natural landscape painting. In the protection zone below Jiajin Mountain there is a Qiaoqi Tibetan township, whose distinctive architectural style, ethnic clothing, food culture, and religious etiquette are also worth stopping for.

Bifengxia is named for its lush trees and verdant greenery in all four seasons. It consists of two gorges, with the left gorge 7 km long and the right gorge 6 km long, forming a V shape. Here you can breathe the fragrant air brewed by the secluded valleys of the mountains; it is like a light and elegant ink-wash painting, waiting for you to savor and appreciate. In the area, green peaks face each other, and there are countless springs and waterfalls. The scenery is elegant, making it an excellent place for leisure vacations and escaping the summer heat. The Bifengxia Panda Base is located within the scenic area and is a panda paradise integrating giant panda breeding, reproduction, rescue, and public education.