<human>:  Tell me about the origins of pandas.
<bot>: The origins of pandas are unclear, but the name “panda” is likely derived from their distinctive black and white colors. It is thought that pandas were first discovered in the forests of southwest China by a French missionary in 1869. The first scientific description of pandas did not come until 1903 when a German zoologist named Hugo Weigold published his findings. Since then, pandas have become an icon of conservation, with China being the country with the most pandas in the wild.