Most people assume all pandas eat is bamboo. This isn’t true.  In fact Schaller¹ reported in The Giant Pandas of Wolong that pandas have even been observed eating carcasses of other animals so may actually be opportunistic meat eaters in the wild!

Pan Pan and bamboo

Yes, the majority of their diet is bamboo.  But they are very specific on which parts they will eat. The main wooden bamboo stick is broken and shredded, avoiding eating the green on the outside.  I have rarely seen them eat the leaves, but this is being seen more the further we go into spring. This phenomenon is well documented in scientific literature and across all facilities that house giant pandas.  During the breeding season, giant pandas shift their diet to primarily eating the culm² – a fact that has puzzled the scientific community because this part has been shown to be highly undigestible and LESS nutritious than the leaves. Their favourite part is the bamboo shoots, this is normally our bribery to make them move.

The main bribery is apples. These are placed at the ends of bamboo sticks and hangover the edge of the enclosure. The aim is to move the ‘apple stick’ in the direction you want the panda to move. As Stephanie mentioned in her shifting blog, this has mixed results.

Special for Pandas honey

Honey specially for pandas – this is the treat of all treats. I have seen jars all over the breeding centre.  If a panda is being particularly recalcitrant they’ll entice the bear with honey. Nutritional panda bread is Wu Gang’s favourite. He is a very messy eater and gets crumbs all over his stomach. None of this is wasted! He waits till all his bread is finished then licks all the remaining crumbs, making sure not to miss a single one. Carrots are another addition to their diet. When we do our feacal collection we can always tell who has been eating their carrots. I’m sure those pandas will be able to see in the dark, just like humans 😉

Slices of panda bread and carrot

These treats are not a finite list, just the major foods that have been observed in the breeding centre.

If you have any panda questions let me know.

-Hope Maxwell

1.Schaller, George B. Giant pandas of Wolong. University of Chicago Press, 1985.

2.Hansen, Rachel L., et al. “Seasonal shifts in giant panda feeding behavior: relationships to bamboo plant part consumption.” Zoo biology 29.4 (2010): 470-483.