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They are very easy to spot in a zoo enclosure, and are instantly recognisable by their distinctive black and white fur.

But for years, scientists have tried to work out why the giant panda has just these colours, despite living in colourful forests in the wild.

Well, after analysing photographs of 15 wild pandas over the course of seven years, a team of researchers from three different nations have concluded that the black and white fur is in fact the panda's best form of camouflage.

They've published their findings in the journal Scientific reports and say it's all about furry protection.

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Scientists from the University of Bristol, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland say the colouring can help them evade predators like leopards, tigers and Asiatic wild dogs.

"The black fur blends into dark shades and tree trunks, whereas white fur matches foliage and snow when present, and intermediate pelage (fur) tones match rocks and ground," their findings showed.

They also concluded that the patches on their fur can confuse predators, making their shape harder to detect and therefore discouraging a potential attack.

Dr Ossi Nokelainen, who led the study said: "The rare photographic evidence allowed us to examine the giant panda appearance in its natural environment for the first time.

"With help of the state-of-the-art image analysis, we were able to treat these images as if the pandas would have been seen by their predator".