What Do Pandas Eat?

Pandas primarily eat bamboo, which constitutes 99 percent of their diet. While they are known for their specific preference for bamboo, they occasionally supplement their diet with other foods.

The Staple Diet: Bamboo

Giant pandas are renowned for their specialized diet, relying almost entirely on bamboo. This includes both bamboo shoots and leaves. Despite being classified as carnivores, their digestive system has adapted over millennia to process the fibrous plant material from bamboo. They spend a significant amount of their day consuming it due to its low nutritional value, requiring them to eat large quantities.

• Bamboo Shoots: Young, tender bamboo stalks that are particularly rich in nutrients.
• Bamboo Leaves: The foliage of bamboo plants, which form a substantial part of their daily intake.

Pandas dedicate an impressive amount of time to eating, spending approximately 12 hours a day consuming bamboo. They eat quickly and in large quantities to meet their energy requirements.

Occasional Dietary Additions

Although bamboo is overwhelmingly their main food source, pandas are known to occasionally diversify their diet with other items. These make up the remaining one percent of their food intake.

• Other Vegetation: Various types of plants and vegetation found in their habitat.
• Fish: Small aquatic life caught from streams or rivers.
• Small Mammals: Minor prey like rodents or pikas, which provide additional protein.

These supplementary foods are rare occurrences and do not form a significant part of their regular feeding habits, underscoring bamboo's crucial role in their survival.

Summary of Panda Diet

To summarize the dietary habits of pandas:

Diet Component	Primary Form	Frequency	Contribution to Diet
Bamboo	Shoots and Leaves	Constant	99%
Other Vegetation	Various plants	Occasional	1% (combined)
Fish	Small aquatic life	Occasional
Small Mammals	Rodents, etc.	Occasional

For more fascinating facts about giant pandas, you can visit National Geographic Kids.