Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
China is home to many unique animals. These include the well-known giant panda and the possibly extinct Chinese river dolphin.
Giant panda
Giant pandas can be found in mountainous regions in southwest China. These include the provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi and Sichuan. They like to live at higher altitudes in bamboo forests. Giant pandas eat between 12kg and 38kg of bamboo every day and can live for up to 20 to 35 years. There are about 1,800 giant pandas in the wild, so they are considered a vulnerable species.
Golden snub-nosed monkey
These primates can be found in central China, in the provinces of Hubei, Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu. Their name comes from their golden-orange fur and their short, upturned nose. These monkeys typically eat leaves, fruits, flowers and seeds. They live in mountainous forests and can withstand the cold, even temperatures under 0 degrees Celsius. There are fewer than 20,000 golden snub-nosed monkeys left in the wild. They are classified as endangered.
Chinese mountain cat
This cat lives in the Tibetan Plateau in southwestern China. They are known for their sand-coloured fur and small, cute size. They are only slightly larger than a standard house cat. These mountain cats are skilled hunters that prey on small rodents and birds. They are solitary creatures that spend their days sleeping in burrows before venturing out to hunt at night. There are fewer than 10,000 Chinese mountain cats left in the wild, making them vulnerable.
Chinese river dolphin
The baiji is a possibly extinct river dolphin. The species is also called the Chinese river dolphin. The animal was native to the Yangtze River and would use its long beak to dig through the muddy riverbeds in search of food. Sadly, it has not been sighted in more than two decades. Overfishing was one of its greatest threats. A lesson to be learned is not to wait until it is too late to try to save an endangered creature from disappearing.
