Scientists looked for paw prints (爪印) in the forests. In this way, they knew the number of pandas! “It's hard to see pandas in the wild, “said Colby, a scientist. “They hide in the thick bamboo forests. “That's why scientists used paw prints to get the number. The number of the pandas was a surprise to scientists. They learned that more pandas lived in the wild!
We found pandas living in areas we didn't know, “said Colby. Although the news is good, pandas are in danger.
Here are some fun facts of pandas.
* It takes a panda more than 10 hours to eat 9kg to 14kg of bamboo every day.
* A newborn panda weighs 90～130 grams. That is about the weight of a mouse. A panda's front paws have wrist bones (腕骨) . The panda uses them to catch bamboo.
The main threat to pandas is that their land is becoming smaller and smaller. Pandas lose their land when people cut down parts of the forest for wood and farming. Now, China has 13 nature reserves (保护区) . People mustn't cut down trees there. Scientists want to create more nature centres to give pandas a better chance to live.
