Step 2: Draw two intersecting lines inside the head, one vertical and one horizontal. Curve the lines so that they contour to the shape of the circle. These are construction lines that will help you place the panda's facial features later on.

Step 11: Lightly sketch the eyeballs inside the head as two small circles. Use the initial lines as guides for placement. When you get the size and shape right, darken the lines. Make the sides of the circles pointier to create the corner of the eyes. Notice the size of the panda's eyes in relation to the rest of the head. Don't draw them too big. Add a few extra lines around the eyes for the skin and wrinkles.That's it for the guides! From this point on, press harder with your pencil for a more defined drawing. Step 3: Draw a small circle on the bottom half of the head as a guide for the panda's muzzle. The top of this circle should touch the construction line, and the bottom should touch the lower edge of the head. To identify the opening of that tiny window, animal keepers carefully watch Mei Xiang for any behavioral sign of estrus. At the same time, scientists monitor hormones in her urine to pinpoint the window when she is ready to breed. If attempts at natural breeding are not successful, scientists can step in, collect fresh or frozen-thawed semen from a male and use the genetic material collected to artificially inseminate a female. At the Zoo, four artificial inseminations have resulted in successful births: male Tai Shan in 2005, female Bao Bao in 2013, male Bei Bei in 2015 and male Xiao Qi Ji in 2020. When populations become small, they are extremely susceptible to extinction due to environmental or genetic influences, such as drought or inbreeding. Small populations cannot rebound the same way large populations do; as groups of pandas become more isolated, it is more likely that reproduction, disease resistance and population stability will be threatened.

For more than 40 years, the Zoo has celebrated these charismatic bears by creating and maintaining one of the world's foremost panda conservation programs. In that time, the Zoo's team — consisting of dozens of animal care staff, scientists, researchers, international collaborators and conservationists — has made great strides in saving this species from extinction by studying giant panda behavior, health, habitat and reproduction. Use a slightly lighter value for the padding on the feet. Add dark fur to the top part of the panda's chest too. The dark fur on the front limbs connects here. Continue adding the value until all four limbs are covered in dark fur. Remember not to overlap the dark value onto the claws. Step 9: Draw a couple of lines that connect the feet to the arms as guides for the panda's legs. The guide line on the far right side should be long and curved. Step 7: On each side, draw another curved line as a guide for the panda's front paws. These guides should also look like the letter U but smaller. The guides for the arms are basically a series of U-shaped lines under the head.Scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation and Biology Institute's Center for Conservation Genomics, have become adept at studying the genetic relatedness of pandas in human care. Chinese colleagues maintain an up-to-date studbook of these vulnerable animals. Zoo scientists developed the formula used to make breeding recommendations for the entire giant panda population in human care, ensuring that it is genetically healthy. Scientists are working to preserve 90 percent of the genetic diversity of the giant panda population in human care. Giant pandas reach breeding maturity between 4 and 8 years of age. They may be reproductive into their 20s. Female pandas ovulate only once a year, in the spring. A short period of two to three days around ovulation is the only time a giant panda is able to conceive. Calls and scents draw males and females to each other. As few as 1,864 giant pandas live in their native habitat, while another 600 pandas live in zoos and breeding centers around the world. The largest threat to giant panda survival is habitat destruction. People in need of food and income have cleared forests for agriculture and timber. This logging has fragmented a once continuous habitat, leaving small groups of pandas isolated from each other. Smithsonian's National Zoo scientists began giant panda research when Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing arrived at the Zoo in 1972. See a history and timeline of giant pandas at the Zoo here. Much has been learned since that time, but there still remains much more to learn. With the arrival of Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, the Zoo has developed a ten-year research plan that will hopefully culminate in a growing, thriving population of giant pandas. Female giant pandas give birth from 90 to 180 days after mating. Although females may give birth to two young, usually only one survives. Giant panda cubs may stay with their mothers for up to three years before striking out on their own. This means that a wild female, at best, can produce young only every other year. In a lifetime, a giant panda may successfully raise only five to eight cubs.

Step 6: Draw a curved line under each U-shaped line as a guide for the middle section of the panda's arms. These guides should be similar to ovals with the top part missing. For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin. Add a cast shadow underneath. This helps ground the panda so it doesn't appear to be floating. It's always a good idea to use reference as you draw. Don't forget to pause the video to draw at your own pace. Step 22: For a cleaner look, erase as much as you can of the initial guide lines. Don't worry about erasing all of the guides. It's okay to leave some behind. Re-draw any final sketch lines you may have accidentally erased.Under the terms of the Zoo's agreement with China, scientists at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Conservation Ecology Center have studied these bears both in the wild and in human care. The Zoo's pandas are part of Panda Watch behavior study. Each day, dedicated Friends of the National Zoo volunteers, called Panda Watchers, monitor the pandas' behavior via the Panda Cam. Over the years, they've amassed mountains of data on the species, which is notoriously difficult to study in the wild.

Specifically, it has allowed scientists at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute to learn about panda estrus, breeding, pregnancy, pseudopregnancy and cub development — work that is shared around the world with other institutions that also care for and breed this vulnerable species. Step 4: On top of the head, draw two small arcs as guides for the panda's ears. Pay attention to the size of the ears in relation to the head. Don't draw them too big.Step 8: Under the arm on the left, draw a small oval as a guide for the panda's first foot. To draw the oval, first draw two short lines, then connect the lines using curved lines on the sides. Draw another small oval under the arm on the right side for the other foot. This oval should be farther from the arm and a little bit smaller.