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Giant Pandas Are Actually Friendlier, More Social Than You: Study

| Mar 29, 2015 03:01 AM EDT

Giant Pandas

Pandas have been found to be more sociable than once thought as scientists discovered the fluffy animals actually like to spend time together for longer periods of time.

The loved black and white creatures were studies by a team of scientists from the Michigan State University using GPS collars to track the pandas.

Scientists captured five pandas for the study: a male panda with the name Chuan Chuan; a young female one named Long Long, and three adult female pandas named Zhong Zhong, Mei Mei and Panpan.

The pandas, who roamed in southwest China's Wolong Nature Reserve, were then studied with the collars starting from 2010 up until 2012.

The scientists found out that the pandas hanged out together more often than expected, according to RT.

Three of the five pandas even stayed together to hang out in one spot in the forest continuously for several weeks.

"They pretty much sit down and eat their way out of an area, but then need to move on to the next place," said research associate Vanessa Hull from the MSU's Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability.

Hull said that the findings might be evidence that pandas are actually a friendly bunch rather than the previous belief that they are solitary creatures.

Chuan Chuan, the male panda, travelled the most among others, checking out the female pandas and marking his presence by rubbing his glands on the surrounding trees, according to Sci-News.

The scientists also found out that pandas remember where they successfully ate. The pandas often returned to areas where they were able to eat ample amounts of food.

In addition, the pandas also went back to areas where they can communicate with other pandas. 

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