Panda Updates – Friday, June 21

We often get asked why giant pandas sit the way they do when they eat. When the pandas are kicked back enjoying bamboo, they either look extremely comfortable, or extremely uncomfortable (by human standards). Regardless of how it may appear, the pandas make sure they’re comfortable before they start eating. The reason that giant pandas are able to sit the way they do while they consume bamboo is in part due to their unique pseudothumbs. This modified wrist bone provides them the capability to reach out to grab their food, which other members of the bear family are not as capable of. For this reason, you’ll often see other bears eating while on all four paws, or sitting down in a similar position as your dogs or cats at home.
Danica W.
Keeper II, Mammals

(Photo by  Danica W.)