On May 11th, it was reported by several domestic media outlets that staff at the Changqing National Nature Reserve in Shaanxi, while organizing data from the spring 2024 giant panda and habitat survey, discovered footage of a healthy adult brown panda in action.
Staff members mentioned that this was the second time since March 2018, after a six-year gap, that a brown panda had been captured on camera in the Changqing Reserve. This marks the 11th sighting of a wild brown panda in the Qinling Mountains region.
Among the millions of species on Earth, the giant panda is undoubtedly one of the most visually striking, exuding a charming and adorable childlike quality while also appearing endearingly clumsy.
Typically, giant pandas are known for their black and white fur, with only a very small percentage exhibiting brown coloring. Research has shown that the black and white patches on giant pandas help them blend in with various elements in their environment.
For instance, the black fur blends with tree trunks and shadows, while the white fur matches tree leaves and the snowy backgrounds of winter. Given that the panda's habitat undergoes color changes throughout the seasons, the black and white patches can be seen as an adaptation to these seasonal variations.
Not only do the black and white colors individually blend with different elements in the background, but when combined, they also provide an additional form of camouflage.
