Pandas love eating bamboo, climbing trees, and sleeping. But one interesting they do is rolling around. This brings us to the question, why do giant pandas roll around?
Surprisingly, giant pandas roll around just to keep warm and play, especially during the winter period.
There are other exciting things you need to know about these giant pandas’ habits such as how they roll, why they like to roll, and more.
That’s why you should pay close attention to every detail in this article to understand their behavior.
Now that you know why giant pandas roll around, let’s move to the next question.
Do Panda Bears Really Like to Roll?
Yes, panda bears like to roll. In fact, we can conclude that rolling is one of the many talents these large creatures have. Sometimes, they roll on the grass, mud, snow, and down the hill.
Other times, these panda bears roll in horse poo.
Yes, it sounds disgusting and unbelievable but it’s a fact. I’ll explain why they engage in this dirty habit, later in this article.
How Do Pandas Roll?
Rolling is like a hobby for pandas so they do it for fun. Just like cats love clawing and dogs love sniffing, that’s how pandas love rolling.
Most of the time, they roll forward, backward, and even sideways.
And apart from eating bamboo, rolling from one place to another is what these adorable animals spend most of their time doing.
Check out these 10 live video cam of some giant pandas rolling from one place to another and having fun in different zoos.
Why Do Pandas Roll In Horse Poo?
Recent research has shown that horse poop contains certain chemicals that provide warmth to animals. In this case, pandas dive into horse dung to deal with cold weather, especially during winter.
Finding out why pandas enjoy staining their white and black fur with horse poo was a major challenge to scientists for a long time.
Most mammals, for example, roll in poop too but they avoid those of other animals for health reasons.
Understandably, people who are not researchers would also want to know the reason behind this gross behavior of giant pandas.
After years of studying animal behavior, the researchers were able to think of a possible answer to this seemingly difficult riddle.
They found out that there are two major chemicals in horse poo that help laboratory mice to keep warm. These chemicals are beta-caryophyllene (BCP) and beta-caryophyllene oxide (BCPO).
There’s a possibility that these chemicals keep giant pandas warm when the weather is cold.
Of course, the researchers had to gain a better understanding of the whole scenario.
So, they set up a camera to observe the pandas’ behaviors along with the Foping National Nature Reserve.
That’s how they were able to come up with a meaningful explanation for these giant pandas’ behavior.
Do Pandas Roll Down Hills & How Often?
Yes, pandas playfully roll downhills.
One major reason pandas roll down the hills is that they find it hard to walk fast. And you’ll agree that rolling is faster than walking, just like driving a car is faster than trekking.
Also, pandas roll down hills for fun. Observing these cute, large creatures while sliding from a height is a sight that will make you laugh!
Besides, pandas are lazy animals. Rolling down the hills is more convenient to them than taking long walks.
If they are not sleeping, eating bamboo, or climbing trees, then these large, furry animals are rolling downhills.
Do Pandas Roll in Snow?
Yes, giant pandas roll in the snow and they love it too.
Watching them stumble and tumble in the snow is an enjoyable view. These funny creatures have a way of making onlookers and viewers laugh with amazement.
Related Questions:
Why Do Pandas Fall So Much?
One thing you should know is that pandas are good at climbing trees. And they are also great at falling frequently. This sounds confusing, right?
That’s one of the behaviors of these large animals.
Watching the pandas fall from a tree or slip from a height will make you feel fearful for them. Do not be surprised that they don’t need your sympathy; they hardly get hurt.
Amazingly, the only reason they climb is just to fall over and over. It’s one of the ways they have fun.
If nothing else makes you laugh about pandas, this particular behavior should amuse you. Believe it or not, they have a way of putting smiles on people’s faces.
Are Pandas Really Clumsy?
Yes, pandas are the real definition of clumsy. Observing them while they walk is like watching a drunkard move from one place to the other.
It’s not always a pleasurable sight. But there is a reason behind this too.
Naturally, pandas are lazy creatures. If they are not eating bamboo, they are sleeping or climbing trees – to escape predators.
Relaxing their legs for a long time makes their muscles weak. By the time they decide to move from their comfort zone, it becomes difficult.
So, this results in their being clumsy.
To find out how this happens, try sitting at a spot for one to two hours, then stand and start walking afterward. You’ll understand better.
Another possible reason pandas are clumsy is because of their eyes. While in the wild, they only see nearby objects compared to those that are far away.
It’s understandable, especially for creatures living in the thick, bamboo forest. There is a limit to what the eyes can see in this situation even in broad daylight.
Regardless of their habitat, pandas are naturally clumsy. It seems both young and old pandas enjoy tripping and staggering like a drunkard.
Fortunately, it doesn’t look as though they hurt themselves after falling several times in a day.
We can’t just get enough of their strange behaviors. Can we?
Do Pandas Eat Poop?
Pandas eat poop but not all of them. It is only the panda cubs (baby pandas) that eat their mother’s feces to allow the easy digestion of food.
Nature has a way of enabling the survival of living creatures. Unfortunately, panda cubs find it difficult to digest bamboo, their favorite diet, because there are no bacteria in their intestines.
On the other hand, their mother’s poop contains the bacteria needed to enable food digestion. That’s why they feed on poop to enable survival.
ALSO READ: Do Giant Panda Eat Their Babies?
Conclusion
Now that we’ve come to the end of this article, let me give you a summary of what we’ve learned.
It has been confirmed that giant pandas roll around to keep warm, especially when the weather is cold, and to have fun.
And we mentioned that they like to roll forward, backward, and sideways frequently.
Also, we said giant pandas roll in horse poo to keep warm because it contains beta-caryophyllene (BCP) and beta-caryophyllene oxide (BCPO) compounds, which have proven to be effective for this purpose.
Remember we mentioned that pandas roll down hills, snow, fall easily, and are naturally clumsy.
If you find this article helpful, share it with your friends!
