Pandas See in Color

Georgia Tech study shows that that the famous black and white animals can distinguish colors.

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PlentyMag.com

Mon, Oct 16 2006 at 3:47 PM

Related Topics:

Nature, Animal Research

(Photo: ZUMA Press)

To file under “whimsical irony:” famously black-and-white giant pandas actually see in color. A recent Georgia Tech study found that two pandas in Zoo Atlanta, Yang Yang and Lun Lun, can distinguish red, green, and blue from gray. But wait! The whimsy doesn’t end there:

Only Lun Lun completed the blue versus green tests because Yang Yang had a tooth problem that prevented him from eating the treats used as reinforcement.

If Hello Kitty were involved, this scene would make for an awfully good Japanese notebook cover.

Story by Kiera Butler. This article originally appeared in Plenty in October 2006. The story was added to MNN.com in July 2009.