**Title: From prey to pet: How the panda became China’s national treasure**

Once ignored in ancient folklore and artwork, the giant panda is now a global icon and a national treasure of China. How did this black-and-white animal rise from obscurity to symbolise a modern nation? Fossils show that pandas lived across China for millions of years. Palaeontologists have found remains dating back eight to nine million years. But early humans did not see them as special. According to early human scholar Wei Guangbiao, many ancient panda fossils show signs of butchery. Early people hunted and ate them. Over time, the panda’s status changed. It later became a palace pet, then a national symbol. Today, China uses the panda in diplomacy and conservation, gifting or loaning them to zoos worldwide. The transformation from neglected prey to treasured icon is a story of shifting culture, politics, and human perception.