What Do Giant Pandas Do When Their Territory is Invaded?

What Do Giant Pandas Do When Their Territory Is Invaded

Adult giant pandas weigh between 70 to 125 kilograms and have powerful bodies. Their bite force can reach up to 589 kilograms, and their arms are strong enough to break steel bars.

With such physical attributes, giant pandas do not ignore intruders in their territory. Typically, giant panda cubs are raised independently by their mothers for about two years before they start living alone. To ensure their offspring can fend for themselves in the future, mother pandas actively teach them fighting techniques such as biting, striking, and grappling. Sometimes, they even intentionally pull their cubs down from trees to strengthen their resistance to falls. This meticulous care is because mother pandas understand the harsh realities of survival in the wild.

Over millions of years of evolution, giant pandas have become solitary creatures. One major challenge of solitary living is the lack of collective strength to face difficulties, such as encounters with predators or intrusions by other pandas. Thus, solitary animals, including giant pandas, tend to be more cautious. In the wild, experienced pandas facing intrusions from other pandas first assess their opponent’s size to gauge the strength difference and then decide whether to “attack” or “avoid.” To survive, giant pandas must learn “fighting skills” to succeed in conflicts.

How Large is a Giant Panda’s Home Range?

The home range of an adult giant panda typically spans from 1 to 60 square kilometers, referred to as their “home range,” “nesting range,” or “territory.”

Despite the large size of their home range, giant pandas do not need to guard the entire area. They primarily protect the core of their territory—the area with the richest resources, such as water and food, and the most suitable living conditions. For example, a giant panda’s home range is similar to a human neighborhood or street. The area within the home range that has the most abundant food and is most suitable for living is known as the “territory,” comparable to a human’s home.