At last, the ox and rat arrived first. The ox was happy thinking that he would be the first sign of the years, but the rat had already slid in front, and became the first lucky animal of the Chinese zodiac. That’s how did the rat win the race.

Twelve species turned up at the start line: a pig, dog, rooster, monkey, sheep, horse, snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger, ox and rat. As a reward for turning up, the Emperor named a year in the zodiac after each one, while the race would determine the order each animal would be placed.

When the Jade Emperor – the Emperor of Heaven and Earth – decided it was time his earthly subjects were given the means to measure the passing of the seasons, he turned to the animal kingdom for help. The emperor decided he would hold a race to determine which of the animals he would include.

Long, long ago, there was no Chinese zodiac. The Jade Emperor wanted to select 12 animals to be his guards. He sent an immortal being into man’s world to spread the message that the earlier one went through the Heavenly Gate, the better the rank one would have.

According to this, the Rat represents the Earthly Branch Zi and the midnight hours (11pm–1am). Moreover, in terms of the Chinese Yin and Yang theory, a Rat is Yang. Therefore, if you were born in January or February in one of the above years, you might be a Rat, or possibly a Pig.

The cat was the thirteenth to arrive and would not be assigned to the calendar. Filled with rage, the cat chased the rat he once thought of as a friend. And that is why the cat is missing from the Chinese zodiac.

Legends relating to the order of the Chinese zodiac often include stories as to why the cat was not included among the twelve. All the other animals made it to the Jade Emperor, while the Cat was left to drown in the river after being sabotaged by the Rat. It is said that this is also the reason cats always hunt Rats.

The year 2021, according to Chinese zodiac, is the year of the cow. The cow is an animal with gentle nature who is closely associated with Buddhism.

(There are 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, which dates back over 2,000 years and includes the mythical dragon — but no panda.) Chinese used to hunt pandas for their pelts because it was believed that sleeping on panda fur could ward off ghosts and help regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle.

Giant panda attacks on human are rare. There, we present three cases of giant panda attacks on humans at the Panda House at Beijing Zoo from September 2006 to June 2009 to warn people of the giant panda’s potentially dangerous behavior.

21, female giant panda Mei Xiang (may-SHONG), age 22, and male giant panda Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN), age 23, will go to China at the end of the three-year agreement extension.

Newborn giant pandas are almost completely unrecognizable. Rather than sporting their iconic black-and-white markings, pandas emerge from their mothers as pink, wrinkly, blind, squealing creatures roughly the size of a stick of butter.

Though the panda is often assumed to be docile, it has been known to attack humans, presumably out of irritation rather than aggression. Pandas have been known to cover themselves in horse manure to protect themselves against cold temperatures.

1,864 left