Can Pandas be Pets? Everything You Didn’t Know About Pandas
In Fun Facts, Other Pets by Morten Storgaard

熊猫可以当宠物养么？你所不知道关于熊猫的一切

Who doesn’t love Pandas? To many people, they are the most adorable and cute animals that walk the earth. But would they make good pets? Let’s find out.

谁不喜欢熊猫?对许多人来说,他们是世界上最聪明最可爱的动物。但他们能成为好的宠物吗?让我们找一找答案。

Let’s start with the short answer.

先来一个简短的解释
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


Can Pandas be good pets? No, because Pandas are an endangered species. There are only around 2,000 pandas left in the world. But even if you were allowed to buy a Panda you would need to grow a huge field of bamboo because Pandas eat around 50 pounds (23 kilograms) of Bamboo each day.

熊猫能成为好的宠物吗?答案是不,因为熊猫是濒危物种。世界上只有大约2000只熊猫。即使允许你买一只熊猫,你也得需要准备一个巨大的竹林,因为他们每天吃大约50磅(23公斤)的竹子。

Let’s dig a little deeper and learn more about the Panda to see why they won’t make good pets even if you were allowed to buy them.

让我们深入挖掘,进一步了解更多关于熊猫的知识,看看他们为什么不会成为好宠物,即使允许你买到它们。

Start by forgetting all you think you know about Pandas!

先请把你头脑中关于熊猫印象全部忘掉!


There are a ton of misconceptions about the panda bears.

关于熊猫熊有很多误解。

People think they are cute bears you can cuddle. This could be further from the truth that’s we will see below. There’s just something about their appearance which makes them look more like a teddy bear than a dangerous bear.

人们认为他们是可爱的熊,可以去抱抱。他它们的外表让它们看起来更像泰迪熊而不是危险的熊。

So I guess is only natural that your first thought is to jump in and start hugging the poor thing.

所以我猜你看到他们的下意识想法就是飞过去抱抱这个令人爱怜的东西，这是是很自然的。

And by the way, they don’t sneeze all the time

顺便说一下，他们并不总是打喷嚏

Panda slide to be left alone and they typically eat bamboo for around (at least!) 10- 15 hours per day. They are not social animals and they don’t like to be petted and patted on the back either.

熊猫喜欢独居，它们通常每天吃竹子时间大约至少10- 15个小时。它们不是群居动物，也不喜欢被人抚摸和拍后背。

So why can’t I own a Panda bear as a pet?

那么为什么我不能拥有一只熊猫作宠物呢?

The primary reason is that they are an endangered species. All Giant Pandas (even those in the Zoos) are owned by the People’s republic of China.

主要原因是它们是濒危物种。所有的大熊猫甚至动物园里的都归中国所有。

But let’s try and ignore that fact for a minute and take a closer look at how you would go about keeping a Panda as a pet.

但让我们试着暂时忽略这个事实，专注研究如何把熊猫当成宠物。

Pandas look super cute and adorable but actually, they are not all that friendly.

熊猫虽然看起来超级可爱，但实际上，它们并不那么友好。

There are numerous occasions of people being attacked by pandas by getting too close in a Zoo or in nature. They have super sharp claws and they also have a very strong bite.

在动物园或大自然中，人们经常会因为过于接近熊猫而被受到它们攻击。它们的爪子非常锋利，咬合力异常强大。

How much does a Panda cost?

养一只熊猫需要多少钱?
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


As mentioned above all pandas in the world are owned by China. That means that each Zoo has to rent it from the Chinese government. They will typically do so for 10 years and the contract will cost almost 1 million dollars (!). And that number is per year so the 10-year contract cost around $10 million for a Zoo.

上面说过，世界上所有的熊猫都属于中国。这意味着每个动物园里的熊猫都是从中国政府那里租借来的。他们通常一租就是10年，租借合同金额近100万美元！。而且这个数字是每年的，所以动物园租借10年的话大约需要花费1000万美元。


This is one of the main reasons you won’t find pandas in every Zoo even though they are one of the most popular animals in the world.

还有一个重要的原因，你不会在每个动物园都能看到熊猫，即便它们是世界上最受欢迎的动物之一。

And then we haven’t even started to talk about the running cost of having a Panda. Let’s You know they will primarily eat bamboo. The Zoo in Edinburgh spends around $88,000 of bamboo each year, just to keep the pandas happy.So that’s another good reason why you can’t have a panda a pet.

我们先不考虑养熊猫的运营成本。让我们以它们的主食，竹子为例。为了让熊猫们开心，（苏格兰）爱丁堡动物园每年花费在竹子的钱就需要8.8万美元。这就是为什么不能把熊猫当宠物养的其中一个原因。

Because even if you could convince the Chinese government that you are a perfect fit, you (probably) couldn’t afford to keep it for more than a few weeks! Even if they gave it to you for free.

因为即使你能说服中国政府你是一个养熊猫完美的人选，你也可能也承受不起照顾它们几周的费用!即使他们免费送给你。

How about the Red Pandas, can they be kept as pets?

那小熊猫总归可以吧?它们可以当宠物养吗?

If you’re still dreaming about pandas you might be wondering if you can have a Red Panda as a pet.

如果你还在做养熊猫的梦，你可能想知道你是否可以养一只小熊猫当宠物

The red panda kind of looks like the big black-and-white Pandas. They are a lot smaller and they are more like a Raccoon. Sorry, you can’t keep a rent pit either. They are protected by the Washington convention from being kept as pets.

小熊猫有点像黑白相间的大熊猫。它们要小得多，很有点像浣熊。但，对不起，你也不能留在家里养。因为它们受到《华盛顿公约》的保护，不能当做宠物饲养。

They are also listed as an endangered species.

它们也属于濒危物种。

It has been estimated that there are around 5000 red pandas left in the world. Around 80 of those are kept in Zoos. So that’s probably the best place to go to take a good look at the Red Panda.

据估计，世界上大约有5000只小熊猫。其中只有大约80只圈养在动物园里。所以那里可能是仔细观察小熊猫最好的地方。

How about and other countries like India, U.K, Canada etc?

那在别的国家呢，比如印度?英国,加拿大什么的?

No. There isn’t anywhere you can keep a Panda as a pet. Or get your hands on one for that matter.

不可以。没有任何地方可以养宠物熊猫。除非你能冒险弄到一个。

As mentioned above, all the Pandas are owned by the Chinese Government and they are not permitting anyone to buy or sell Pandas. Anywhere.

如上所述，所有熊猫都属中国政府所有，他们禁止任何人买卖熊猫。无论任何地方。

Jackie Chan has two Panda bears

可成龙有两只熊猫哪
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


Apparently, you can have a Panda bear as pets if you are rich and famous.

显然，如果你有钱又有名，你也可以买一只熊猫当宠物养养。

AND if the Chengdu Research Center thinks you will be a good advocate and create awareness about Pandas as a species.

或是成都研究中心认为你会成为一个很好的倡导人士，让人们意识到熊猫是一个物种。

Jackie Chan has adopted two giant Panda bears back in 2009. He paid around $150,000 for them and he became the Chengdu Panda Ambassador by the local tourism council!Pandas are huge (and potentially dangerous)!

成龙在2009年收养了两只大熊猫。他花了大约15万美元买下了这些熊猫，不过他成为了当地旅游委员会的成都熊猫大使!

The final reason why you can’t keep the pandas a pet is because they are huge!

最后一个你不能把熊猫当宠物的原因是它们是在太大了!

A lot of people think pandas are cute little bears you can hug and carry around like a dog.

很多人认为熊猫是可爱的小熊，你可以像抱着狗一样抱着它到处溜达。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


They aren’t.

可惜他们不是

They are often called Giant Pandas, and there’s a good reason for that.

把它们称之为大熊猫，那是有原因的。

They are at around 5 feet long (150 cm) and 3 feet tall ( 90 cm) to the shoulder. The males can weigh up to around 350 pounds (160 kilograms). So as you can imagine, you couldn’t carry it around and you certainly couldn’t walk it with a leash (like a dog).

他们体长约1.5米，距地面肩高不到一米。公熊猫的体重可达160公斤左右。所以你可以想象，你不能随便带着它到处乱走，当然你也不可能像遛狗一样用皮带牵着它去溜达。

The Pandas belong to the bear family so they are more likely to behave like a brown bear than a pet dog. There aren’t many stories about pandas attacking humans but that’s probably mainly because there aren’t many pandas left in the world.

熊猫属于熊科，所以它们的行为更像一只熊而不是宠物狗。虽然熊猫攻击人类的事件并不多，那可能主要是因为世界上的熊猫很少的缘故。

How strong is a panda?

熊猫有多强壮?

Oh my, it’s strong!

哦，天哪，它很强壮!

Remember that we are talking a 350 pounds (160 kilograms) bear. They can bite really hard and they have to in order to crush the bamboo sticks with their bare teeth. They spend most of their waking hours eating bamboo.

记住，我们在说的是一只160公斤的熊。它们咬合力相当恐怖，因为嚼竹子需要这样，它们不得不这样做。它们醒着的时候大部分时间都在吃竹子。

A full grown panda can buy but almost 600 pounds of force. That’s two times the strength of the Pitbull.

一只成年熊猫可以拥有近300公斤的力量。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


Here you can see the jawbone of the Panda. It’s very strong and the joints are huge:

这个力量几乎是斗牛犬所拥有的两倍。


So you definitely wouldn’t want to confront the panda. Especially not while it is eating because he doesn’t like to get it’s dinner interrupted!

所以你肯定不会想和熊猫呆在一起。尤其是当他们在吃饭的时候，因为他不喜欢在吃饭时被人打扰!

Actually, the mother Panda will often give birth to two little panda twins. That happens with one out of two pregnancies. And when that happens the mother will take a good look at the two baby pandas and sext the strongest baby panda. The weakest baby will die of starvations because the mother will only feed the strongest baby.

事实上，熊猫妈妈经常会有一半的几率生下两只熊猫宝宝。出现这种情况时，熊猫妈妈会仔细观察这两只熊猫宝宝，然后挑选出其中最强壮的熊猫宝宝。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


That sounds really harsh but that’s how things are in nature. The mother is simply not able to feed to baby pandas so she will favorize the strongest one.

撇下最弱的那只让它自生自灭，因为熊猫妈妈只会喂养那个最强壮的宝宝。

7 interesting facts about Pandas

7个有关熊猫的有趣事实

Here are some amazing Panda facts.

这里有一些令人惊奇的熊猫事实。

1) The Pandas have 6 fingers

熊猫有六个手指

They have a tiny thumb and five fingers. That makes a total of 6 fingers. They are perfectly fitted to grab bamboo which is the main job for its mighty paws.

他们有一个小拇指和五个手指。总共是6根手指。它们非常适合握住竹子，握住竹子是它们强壮爪子的主要工作。


These specially-designed claws help them climb trees as well.

这种特殊结构的爪子也可以能帮助它们爬树。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


You only find this special feature on the front paws. The back paws have five paws.

这种特征的爪子只出现在前肢。后肢有五个爪指。

2) Pandas are fast

熊猫跑得快吗？

Pandas can fun 20 miles per hour (30 km/h). That’s quite a lot faster than humans.

熊猫能以每小时30公里的速度奔跑。这比人跑的要快多了。

Pandas in captivity cannot run as fast as wild Pandas because they typically have a more relaxed life and doesn’t have to. After all, dinner is served every day and they are never being hunted or chased by anyone.

圈养的熊猫没有野生熊猫跑得那么快，因为它们通常都生活在安逸的环境里，无需跑的那么快。毕竟，每天都有吃的送过来，而且它们从来没有被任何动物追逐过。

3) Newborn Panda cubs are tiny!

刚出生的熊猫宝宝很小!

When the mother Panda gives birth to a Panda cub it’s really tiny.

熊刚出生时的熊猫宝宝非常、非常地小。


Photo credits: REUTERS
It’s pink all over the body and it can not see yet. It can weigh as little as 0.2 pounds! (100 grams). That’s only 1/20 of human babies. So they have a long way to go before they reach full size like the mother.

它全身粉红色，还什么都看不见。它的重量只有100克。只有人类婴儿的1/20重。所以它们要长到和母亲一样的体型还需要很长的路要走。

According to National Geographic, the baby cub only measures 6 inches (15 centimeters) when it’s born. That’s equivalent to the size of a pencil.

据《国家地理》报道，这只幼崽出生时只有15厘米长。这仅相当于一支铅笔的大小。

4) Pandas eat all day long

熊猫一天就知道吃

Pandas will eat around 50 pounds (23 kilograms) of bamboo every day. In order to chew and digest this enormous amount of bamboo it typically eats most of its waking hours.

熊猫每天要吃大约23公斤的竹子。为了咀嚼和消化大量的竹子，它通常会在醒着的大部分时间里都在吃。

They will eat up to 18 hours per day (typically 12 hours)! So there’s not much time left to do other things than chew its way through the pile of bamboo!

他们每天会吃18个小时(通常是12个小时)!所以时间很紧迫，只能在竹子堆里啃来啃去!

They will also eventually eat other stuff like plants and sometimes meat. But 99% of the meal consists of bamboo. So it’s not a very complex diet.

它们也是会吃其他东西的，例如植物，有时是肉。但是99%的食物都是竹子。这饮食习惯不是很复杂。

5) Panda bears do not hibernate during the winter

到了冬天熊猫不需要冬眠

Other bears will often hibernate or at least spend most of the time sleeping, during the winter. They do so to use as little energy as possible and their body temperature will lower to match its surroundings.

别的熊到冬天都会去冬眠，或者至少大部分时间都在睡觉。它们这样做是为了尽可能少地消耗能量，而且它们的体温会随着周围环境的变冷而降低。但熊猫不是。

But not the Pandas.
Pandas will often head south instead. They do so in order to reach warmer temperatures.

熊猫通常会朝着南边跑。它们这样做是为了找个更温暖的地方。

6) We only recently found out that Pandas are bears

直到最近我们才知道熊猫是熊
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


Until 1995 we believed that Pandas were a type of Raccoon just like the Red Panda which looks a lot like the Giant Panda.

直到1995年，我们一直认为熊猫是一种浣熊，就像小熊猫一样，以为是大号的小熊猫。

But after testing and sequencing its genome, scientists found proof that the Panda is, in fact, a bear.

但在对其基因组进行测试和排序后，科学家们发现了大熊猫实际上是熊的证据。

7) The Panda can make (at least) 11 different sounds

熊猫至少能发出11种不同的声音
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


We do not know what these 11 different calls mean but they have been identified by scientists.

我们不知道发出的这11种不同的叫声表达的究竟是什么意思，但科学家已鉴定出他们是在表达不同的含义。

They can growl like other bears and they can bark, huff and squeak. The little Panda babies will mostly do cute squesking noises.

它们可以像其他熊一样发出咆哮声，也可以发出像狗的叫声、发怒（呼噜声）和吱吱叫的声音。而熊猫宝宝大多会发出可爱的声音。

What can I do to help save the pandas?

我能做些什么来帮助拯救熊猫
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


You can make a donation to WWF. They have been helping Pandas for more than 50 years and they are working consistently to create better circumstances for these two fellows.

你可以向世界自然基金会捐款。他们帮扶大熊猫已经有50多年历史了，他们一直在努力为熊猫创造更好的生活环境。

They do so by creating habitats where pandas can live and eat bamboo. You can actually buy panda adoption kit which will give you a cute little panda teddy bear and a couple of photos.

他们通过为熊猫打造栖息地，让它们安心生活和吃竹子。你可以买一个熊猫爱心包，里面有一个可爱的熊猫玩具熊和几张熊猫照片。

In 1976 there were only around 1,000 wild Pandas in the world so the population has almost doubled since. There are also a growing number of Pandas in Zoos and we have become better over the years to create very good conditions for the bears to thrive in captivity.

1976年，世界上只有大约1000只野生大熊猫，现在，大熊猫的数量几乎翻了一倍。动物园里的熊猫数量也在不断增加，多年来我们已经为圈养熊猫打造出比较好的生活条件。

Alternative pets that kinda looks like Pandas

类似熊猫的奇奇怪怪的宠物

Because Panda is one of the most popular animals in the world there are a lot of alternative pets that people like to name after it.
Or in some cases, people would dress up their pets to look like a panda.

因为熊猫是世界上最受欢迎的动物之一，因此出现有很多类似熊猫模样的宠物，人们喜欢以它的名字命名。或者在某些情况下，人们会把他们的宠物打扮成熊猫的样子。

Panda Dogs
Panda dogs are basically Panda looking dogs. It’s not a specific breed so to speak but more like a grooming style.

熊猫狗
熊猫狗基本上就是熊猫模样的狗。可以说，它不是一个特定的品种，而更像是一种装扮风格。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


It’s a Japanese trend that has taken off over the last couple of years.

这种装扮潮流之前几年在日本非常流行

They will bleach and color the white fur to totally mimic the Giant Panda. It sounds all wrong but it’s actually non-toxic and harmless color that is meant for dog grooming.

他们完全按照大熊猫的形象将宠物的毛染成黑白两色。这听起好像哪里不对，但实际上这是无毒无害的染料，是专门用来给狗狗打理毛用发的。

People typically use a Chow Chow dog for the transformation and we must say they look rather convincing as wanna-be Pandas:

人们通常会把一只松狮犬装扮起来，我们必须说它们看起来很像熊猫:



（注：装扮前与装扮后的松狮犬）

The Mastiff breed is also a great dog for being a “Panda Dog”.

獒种犬也是一个非常适合装扮成熊猫的“熊猫狗”。

Check out this Mastiff that totally looks like a pet Panda strolling down the street on a leach. The Tibetan Mastiff looks like the perfect teddy bear and the face and puffy body makes a great Panda Dog:

看看这只獒，它看起来完全像一只在街上溜达的宠物熊猫。獒看起来就像完美的泰迪熊，它的脸和臃肿的身体就像一只大熊猫:


Some people will not actually color the dog’s fur but just Photoshop it and post it on social media. And if you ask me this is much better than actually having your talk going through these procedures.

有些人不会真的给狗狗的皮毛染色，而只是将狗狗照片进行ps后发布在社交媒体上。如果你问我怎么做，这比教你如何去演讲要复杂多了。

This new trend has also started up quite a lot of resistance among the pet communities. People feel sorry for the dogs and it thinks the owners turn the dog into an accessory. I agree with this. But nonetheless it is quite a funny trend and I believe why it’s caused some attention in the media.

这一新趋势也在宠物社区中引发了相当多的抵制。人们为狗感到难过，认为狗的主人把狗变成了一个玩物。我同意这一点。但尽管如此，这是一个相当有趣的趋势，我相信它为什么会在媒体上引起人们的关注。

The typical answer from the owners of these panda dogs is that the dog doesn’t suffer at all. They are only using non-toxic and harmless coloring (of course!) but I still think this is a weird and wrong trend.

这些熊猫狗的主人给出的解释是，熊猫狗一点也不痛苦。他们染发用的颜料当然是无毒无害的，但我仍然认为这是一个奇怪和错误的趋势。

Panda costumes for pets

给宠物穿的熊猫装

You can also get Panda dog costumes. They are more harmless than actually coloring the hair of the dog.

你也可以买到给狗穿的熊猫装。这样比染狗毛更无害。

They are often used for Halloween and other theme parties and they also look super cute. Especially on the smaller dogs:

它们经常被用于万圣节和其他主题派对，而且看起来超级可爱。特别是给小一点的狗用的


You can also find panda costumes for all the types of pets. These are not exclusively for dogs. Especially cats and other smaller pets are typically a good fit for a panda costume.
It’s rather silly but they do look funny.

你也可以找到适合各种宠物的熊猫装。这不仅仅是狗的专利。尤其是猫和其他小一点的宠物也有很适合穿的熊猫装。看起来很傻，但他们确实显得很滑稽。

Panda Hamster

熊猫仓鼠

People often called the Syrian hamster a “Panda Hamster”.

人们通常把叙利亚仓鼠叫做为“熊猫仓鼠”。

The Panda Hamster is not a specific breed, it’s just the Syrian hamster with black-and-white fur. They do not look much like a Panda if you ask me but they do have the black-and-white fur.
I guess you have to be really lucky if you find a Syrian hamster with perfect black dots around its eyes.

熊猫仓鼠并不是一个特定的品种，它只是有着黑白皮毛的叙利亚仓鼠。如果你问我这像熊猫么，我会说它们看起来不太像熊猫，但它们确实有黑白相间的皮毛。如果你找到一只带黑眼圈的叙利亚仓鼠，我猜你一定很幸运。

Here’s what they typically look like:

它们通常长的是下面这样:


By the way, some sheep also looks like they have a few Panda genes in their DNA:

顺便说一下，有些羊长的也会像有熊猫特征:


Sources: pandanews.org, theguardian.com, natgeokids.com, bears.org.

资料来源:pandanews.org, theguardian.com, natgeokids.com, bears.org。