Classification

Giant pandas are indeed bears. For many years, scientists had wondered whether pandas were a type of bear, raccoon or something else. However, studies of panda DNA have confirmed the panda's relationship with bears, according to the San Diego Zoo.

The taxonomy of giant pandas, according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), is:

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Subkingdom: Bilateria  
• Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia  
• Phylum: Chordata
• Subphylum: Vertebrata
• Infraphylum: Gnathostomata  
• Superclass: Tetrapoda  
• Class: Mammalia 
• Subclass: Theria 
• Infraclass: Eutheria 
• Order: Carnivora
• Suborder: Caniformia 
• Family: Ursidae 
• Genus & species: Ailuropoda melanoleuca

Resource: https://www.livescience.com/27335-giant-pandas.html