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Via iStockphoto \/ @robertcurtis90 TikTok<\/a><\/p>\n In the modern era, the giant panda is synonymous with China.<\/p>\n This is for good reason. The bear is only found in China.<\/a> As a result, the country frequently uses it in advertising and as a form of soft power. The term \u201cpanda diplomacy\u201d<\/a> has even emerged to describe how the country uses pandas<\/a> to build relationships and foster understanding.<\/p>\n Given that the bear is only found in China, one might think that the country\u2019s associations with the animal go back millennia. However, the truth is actually a bit more complicated. In fact, according to some, there\u2019s barely any record of pandas in China until around 200 years ago. But is this really true?<\/p>\n Are Pandas Real?<\/p>\n The \u2018Veritas Project\u2019 describes themselves as \u201ca group of Paranormal researchers with a emphasis on science.\u201d In a recent episode of their podcast, a clip of which they shared to TikTok, the group discussed a theory that pandas as we know them do not exist in the historical record.<\/p>\n According to the clip, one of the hosts recently joined a TikTok Live conversation between two scientists. The scientists, the host says, were discussing a theory that \u201cpandas aren\u2019t real.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c[In the] 1860s, when they were discovered, some guy discovered a panda, and then he brought it to the Chinese government and was like, \u2018Hey, I found this thing in the woods,\u2019 and they\u2019re like, \u2018That thing doesn\u2019t exist. Somebody must be pulling your leg,\u2019\u201d the TikToker says.<\/p>\n The TikToker then notes that, despite having a considerable amount of art throughout history, there do not appear to be depictions of pandas.<\/p>\n In fact, he claims that the panda only became known to the Western world after \u201ca European explorer cruising through the bamboo forest\u2026found some native person who lived there, and they had a panda pelt.\u201d<\/p>\n Is This True?<\/p>\n The claims in this video are a mix of fact and fiction\u2014leaning heavily on the fiction.<\/p>\n First, it is true that pandas were not known to the Western world until relatively late. In 1869, a French Jesuit named Armand David received a panda pelt from a hunter.<\/a> This sparked interest in the animal globally.<\/p>\n However, this discovery was not met with surprise from the Chinese government, as the TikToker claims.<\/p>\n What is true is that specific references to pandas in the historical record are surprisingly limited. That said, just because they are limited, that does not mean that they do not exist at all. Historians have noted numerous references to pandas<\/a> throughout time, though confusion about names and terminology means that some of these references are uncertain.<\/p>\n Additionally, while we now regard the panda as special, there\u2019s no reason to believe that ancient peoples saw the need to distinguish it considerably from other bear species.<\/p>\n Some theorists speculate<\/a> that ancient peoples were well aware of pandas and even wrote about them; however, they simply categorized them along with other bears. Consequently, bears like the Qinling panda, which is brown and white, would have simply been mentioned along with other brown bears native to China. This makes parsing the historical record of pandas a bit difficult.<\/p>\n Furthermore, there are confirmed interactions between humans and pandas from much earlier than the modern era. For example, archeologists discovered<\/a> a panda skeleton in the tomb of Emperor Wen of Han, who died in 157 BCE. Additional panda body parts have been found in other tombs.<\/p>\n In summary, pandas are not a modern invention, and there\u2019s plenty of evidence of pandas going back centuries\u2014even if it is less evidence than one might expect.<\/p>\n Commenters Aren\u2019t Buying It<\/p>\n In the comments section, users expressed skepticism about the claim that pandas did not exist in the historical record.<\/p>\n \u201cOK. I\u2019m updating my notes: birds aren\u2019t real, dinosaurs are dragons, dolphins are aliens, mermaids are real. Bigfoot is real, pandas are not real\u2026 Did I get all that right?\u201d joked a user.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw pandas years ago at the zoo in Washington DC. My brother and I sat there for at least 20 min watching them. They were definitely real lol,\u201d said another.<\/p>\n \u201cEven till this day new animals are being discovered, so the \u2018well we have no record of one\u2019 isn\u2019t a valid argument,\u201d shared a third.<\/p>\n BroBible reached out to The Veritas Project via email.<\/p>\n \t\t\t