Giant panda

The panda also known as panda bear or the giant panda to distinguish it from the unrelated red
panda, is a bear native to south central China. It is easily recognized by the large, distinctive
black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though it belongs to the
order Carnivora, the panda's diet is over 99% bamboo. Pandas in the wild will occasionally eat
other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents or carrion. In captivity, they
may receive honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, or bananas along with specially
prepared food.
The giant panda lives in a few mountain ranges in central China, mainly in Sichuan province, but
also in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. As a result of farming, deforestation, and other
development, the panda has been driven out of the lowland areas where it once lived.
The panda is a conservation reliant endangered species. A 2007 report shows 239 pandas living
in captivity inside China and another 27 outside the country. Wild population estimates vary; one
estimate shows that there are about 1,590 individuals living in the wild, while a 2006 study via
DNA analysis estimated that this figure could be as high as 2,000 to 3,000. Some reports also
show that the number of pandas in the wild is on the rise. However, the IUCN does not believe
there is enough certainty yet to reclassify the species from Endangered to Vulnerable.
While the dragon has often served as China's national emblem, internationally the panda appears
at least as commonly. As such, it is becoming widely used within China in international contexts,
for example as one of the five Fuwa mascots of the Beijing Olympics.
Siberian tiger
The Siberian tiger also known as the Amur tiger, is a tiger subspecies inhabiting mainly the
Sikhote Alin mountain region with a small population in southwest Primorye province in the
Russian Far East. In 2005, there were 331393 adult and subadult Amur tigers in this region,
with a breeding adult population of about 250 individuals. The population had been stable for
more than a decade due to intensive conservation efforts, but partial surveys conducted after
2005 indicate that the Russian tiger population is declining.
A comparison of data on body weights of Siberian tigers suggests that in the first half of the 20th
century both males and females were in average heavier than post-1970 ones. Siberian tigers

captured in a conflict situation with people were usually sick or injured, which may explain their
reduced weight.
The Blue or Blue Antelope, sometimes called the Blaubok is now extinct. It is the first "recent"
African mammal which has disappeared from the pages of history. It was a relative of the Sable
Antelope and Roan Antelope but was smaller than both species. It was a native of the Savannah
on the southwestern coastal areas of South Africa. It is thought that during the ice age, it was
spread over a quite big range. The bluebuck would prefer only high quality grasses being a
selective feeder.
During the 17th century, it was seen in Europe, but up to that time it had already become
uncommon. With more and more land being used for agriculture, its habitat area started
disappearing and it became an easy prey for the Europeans, although its flesh did not taste good.
Up to the 18th century, it became completely extinct. The remains of all the four species of Blue
buck (Stockholm, Leiden, Paris, and Vienna), found in different museums, do not show any blue
color coat but it was probably because of their mixture of yellow and black hair.
The length of an adult male blue buck was 8.2 to 9.8 ft (250 to 300 cm) and the female was 7.5
to 9.2 ft (230 to 280 cm) long.
The American lion also known as the North American lion, Naegeles giant jaguar or American
cave lion is an extinct lion belonging to North America and northwestern South America.
The American lion is one of the largest types of cat ever to have existed about 25% larger than
the modern African lion.
The American lion is an extinct animal that originated in North America and is believed to have
colonized northwestern South America as part of the Great American Interchange. The headbody length of the American lion is estimated to have been 1.62.5 m (5 ft 3 in8 ft 2 in) and it
would have stood 1.2 m (4 ft) at the shoulder
Around 100 specimens of American lions have been recovered from the La Brea Tar Pits, in Los
Angeles, so their body structure is well known. The features and teeth of the extinct American
lion strongly resemble modern lions, but they were considerably larger. The American lion is
believed to be the largest subspecies of lion.