According to legend, the panda was once an all-white bear. When a small girl tried to save a panda cub from being attacked by a leopard, the leopard killed the girl instead. Pandas came to her funeral wearing armbands of black ashes. As they wiped their eyes, hugged each other, and covered their ears, they smudged the black ashes, causing their current coloration.

The giant panda typically lives around 20 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity.

Female pandas ovulate once a year and are fertile for only two or three days.

Richard Nixon was the first U.S. president to visit China. In 1972, he received two pandas from the Chinese leader, Chairman Mao. The two pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, were placed in the National Zoo in Washington D.C. During their time at the National Zoo, the pair had five cubs, but none of them survived more than a few days.

Of all the members of the bear family, only sloth bears have longer tails than pandas.

The Qinling panda has a light brown and white pattern. It is restricted to the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi at elevations of 1,300-3,000 meters.

When an evil kung fu warrior named Tai Lung is foretold to escape from prison, a giant panda named Po is unwittingly named the "Dragon Warrior" that is destined to defeat him.