We named our company Panda Food, so we get this question more than any sock brand reasonably should: what do pandas actually eat?
The short answer is bamboo, around 99% of a giant panda's diet is bamboo. But the long answer is far stranger, because pandas are technically carnivores that decided, somewhere along the evolutionary line, to become almost entirely vegetarian.
Are pandas carnivores?
Biologically, yes. Giant pandas belong to the order Carnivora and the bear family (Ursidae). They still have the digestive system of a meat-eater: a simple stomach and a short gut, with none of the multi-chambered fermenting equipment that cows and other dedicated plant-eaters use.
In practice, though, pandas are herbivores by behaviour. Bamboo makes up roughly 99% of what they eat in the wild. The remaining 1% covers other grasses, wild fruit and vegetables, and, very occasionally, small animals.
Do pandas eat meat?
Rarely, but it happens. Wild pandas have been observed eating small rodents like bamboo rats, and they'll scavenge carrion if they come across it. Their taste receptors have even lost some sensitivity to umami (the savoury taste associated with meat), which scientists believe is part of why meat simply doesn't interest them much anymore.
So if you've ever wondered whether a panda would chase down prey like other bears, no. A panda's idea of hunting is finding a slightly better patch of bamboo.
How much do pandas eat?
An enormous amount. Because bamboo is so low in nutrients and pandas digest so little of it, a giant panda eats roughly 12-38kg of bamboo every single day, spending 10 to 16 hours a day feeding.
They're also selective. Pandas prefer:
- Bamboo shoots, the tender, protein-rich new growth (spring favourite)
- Bamboo leaves, higher in nutrients than stems, favoured in summer and autumn
- Bamboo culms (stems), the tough fallback, mostly in winter
What do pandas eat in zoos?
Captive pandas still get mountains of bamboo, but keepers supplement it with specially made high-fibre biscuits, carrots, apples and sometimes sugar cane. Baby pandas drink their mother's milk for the first year, transitioning onto bamboo from around six months old.
Quick panda diet facts
- 99% of the wild diet is bamboo
- 12-38kg eaten per day
- 10-16 hours a day spent eating
- Pandas eat sitting upright, using an enlarged wrist bone, a "pseudo-thumb", to grip bamboo stalks
- A panda produces up to 10kg of droppings a day (a consequence of digesting only ~17% of what it eats)
Why a sock company cares about panda food
Fair question. Our socks are made from bamboo viscose, the same fast-growing, self-regenerating plant pandas depend on. Bamboo grows without pesticides, needs no replanting after harvest, and turns into a fabric that's softer and more breathable than cotton. Pandas were onto something.
If you're curious what the fuss is about, our premium bamboo crew socks are the place to start. Panda approval pending.
