because bamboo has sharp splinters in it. But Panda bears eat bamboo for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! That's why God made the Panda's throat with a tough lining but made YOUR throat with a softer lining- just right for pancakes or pizza for breakfast.

AND to help the panda start the day with bamboo, God gave the bear a sixth finger! This finger is a bit like a thumb, and it grows out of the Panda bear's WRIST. This makes it easy for the Panda to hold the bamboo stalk while it strips off the coarse outside and then eats the inside. And the panda needs all the help because it strips and eats about 600 bamboo stems every day!

You might never see a giant panda bear because it lives in the misty mountain forest of China, but you might see some of the other kinds of bears God made if you visit a zoo- the black bear, the brown bear, the grizzly bear and the polar bear.

Actually, a zoo would be the beary best place to see any kind of bear because none of them are very friendly to people- except the teddy bear!