Panda's Habitat: About the Panda's Habitat in the Wild and Captivity

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Connor_McBroom]Connor McBroom
Here in this article you are going to learn all about the panda's habitat. Since the panda is an endangered species there are reserves set up to help preserve and increase the population of the species. Here in this article we are going to look at both wild and captive environments.
Panda's habitat in the wild
The panda's habitat in the wild mainly consists of forest and bamboo. The wild consists of a few mountain ranges on the east of the Tibetan plateau. They used to live in the lowland grassy areas but they were cut down though deforestation and farming which has recently been banned. The panda's habitat in the wild is filled with forest, trees and bamboo which they thrive on. It is also often misty and cool in their habitat. Often during the summer, mist swirls around the conifer clad peaks and through the valleys of the qionglai mountains. This with the rain and snow helps to maintain the moist atmosphere which is essential for bamboos to flourish because without it the pandas will die.
The panda's habitat in the mountain also contains streams or lakes where they will drink after a session of eating bamboo. The pandas will make temporary dens in the bamboo forests where they will sit and eat bamboo for hours on end. Waterfalls and lakes are abundant in their habitat. Pandas often rest beside rivers and streams in their habitat to keep energy expenditure low, it also means they are closer to it to drink. Since their diet is so low in nutrition they try to keep their energy expenditure to a minimum. Pandas can also be seen climbing up trees to play, especially the younger pandas as they don't require as much feeding as an adult panda.
Panda's habitat in captivity
A panda's habitat in captivity is not the same as it is in the wild. However the reserve centers try their hardest to replicate the environment that the wild pandas live in. Reserve centers will include an abundant amount of bamboo for them to feed on. They will also include rocks and trees for the pandas to play on. Other features of a panda's habitat in captivity may include lakes, ponds, streams and other objects for the pandas to play on such as giant tyres. These centers are in enclosed areas to help keep the pandas more protected from outside threats such as poachers.
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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Pandas-Habitat:-About-the-Pandas-Habitat-in-the-Wild-and-Captivity&id=6495687] Panda's Habitat: About the Panda's Habitat in the Wild and Captivity