When were panda bears discovered, and how?

The two were sons of the 26th U.S. president, whose love of sport hunting ultimately propelled major conservation reforms. ... As dead bears lost some allure, plans shifted to getting a live panda out of China. ... There, pandamania was instantaneous: More than 53,000 visitors showed up for the exhibit's opening day. read more

The giant panda's tail, measuring 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in), is the second-longest in the bear family. (The longest belongs to the sloth bear.) The giant panda typically lives around 20 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity. read more

Giant Pandas were first introduced to the West in 1869 when a panda pelt and skeleton were sent to Paris by the French botanist, zoologist and priest Father Armand David. He compared it to the Red Panda which looked like a cross between a raccoon and a fox and which was thought to be a relative of raccoons, skunks and weasels, but not bears. read more

Until 1869, few had heard of the giant black-and-white creatures hiding in China’s forests. Decades later, pandamania gripped the world. read more