The Panda Bear One of the most unusual bears known to man is the panda bear. Panda bears live in southwestern China. They live in misty forests of bamboo. There are two main types of pandas. They are the giant black-and-white panda and the red panda. They weigh anywhere from 175 to 275 pounds. They get anywhere from five to six feet in height. A newborn panda cub is about the size of a chipmunk. They are born blind and are completely helpless. They rely heavily on their mother. Once the baby panda leaves its mother, it will live all alone. Pandas are active during both the day and at night. The most important plant in the life of a panda bear is bamboo. They spend about 12 hours of their day eating bamboo. That’s a lot of bamboo! Pandas have special bones in their wrists that enable them to grab the stalks of the bamboo. Pandas will peel away the outer edge of the stalk and eat the soft inner portion of the bamboo. Their giant molars crush the bamboo stalks. The panda will also eat the bamboo leaves. Pandas have also been known to eat mushrooms, insects, grasses, fish, fruit, and rice. Pandas move in a very slow, methodical manner. Unlike some bears, the panda bear does not hibernate. They live in a climate where they can be active and eating throughout the year. Story Questions 1. A different title for this reading passage could be . . . a. “Panda Paradise.” b. “China’s Bear.” 2. Newborn panda cubs are not born . . . a. being able to see. b. blind. c. “All You Want to Know About Bears.” d. “Illegal Bear Hunting.” c. the size of a chipmunk. d. helpless. 3. The author wrote this passage to . . . a. justify keeping pandas in captivity. b. inform the reader of how pandas are mistreated. c. share general information about panda bears. d. raise awareness of the shrinking of the panda population. 4. If you wanted to find out more about pandas, you could . . . a. read a book about how bears hibernate. b. watch a television program about bamboo. c. meet somebody who lives in China. d. watch a television program about the different types of bears.