Do all pandas really belong to China?

Not quite. In the wild, giant pandas only live in China but captive ones have been sent to zoos around the world as gifts since the Fifties. None of those pandas are still alive though and, since 1984, almost all pandas have been given to zoos on a ten-year lease. They remain Chinese property and so do any cubs born in captivity from the leased pandas. There are a few exceptions, however. In 2008 China gave, rather than leased, a pair of pandas to Taiwan and in August 2013 they were successfully bred to produce a third Taiwanese panda, called Yuan Zai.

Luis Villazon

To learn more about all the incredible animals on our planet, why not visit our AnimalAnswers website – from the makers of How It Works.