The giant panda is the most recognized animal in the world today, in addition to being the animal zoologists most interested to study. The giant panda is endemic only to mountain ranges in central China in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces at elevations between 1,400 and 3,500 ft. It moves to different elevations following the changes of seasons. The largest panda populations may be found inside the narrow slice of South-to-North bamboo forests where the Sichuan Basin meets the eastern ridge of the Hengduan Mountain.

The mean annual temperature at the giant panda's natural habitat is 6-17 degrees centigrade, annual rainfall over 1,000 mm, humid monsoon in summer, and chilly wetness in winter with snow season lasting as long as 4-5 months. The rich topography supports an abundance of vegetations and trees mostly fir, dragon spruce, fortune's keteleeria and birch, along with dense patches of wild azaleas and huge bamboo in between the forests. This type of climate and surrounding is not only ideal for the giant panda, it is also good to exotic and rare wildlife such as the golden snub-nosed monkey, red panda, takin (Budorcas taxicolor), otter, and the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), as well as plants under China's State Protection including the dove tree (Davidia involucrata), ginkgo, hemlock, camphor tree, Chinese yew, etc. Hence the conservation and protection of the giant panda’ natural habitats, the cease and decease of forest fells, and the establishment of reserves, not only serve to ensure the continuous existence of the giant pandas in the wild, these efforts also benefit the many animals and plants co-exist in the same habitat.