Pandas are known for their love of bamboo, which makes up almost their entire diet. Bamboo contains very little nutritional value, so pandas must eat 12-38 kg of it every day to meet their energy needs. Pandas eat different types and parts of bamboo according to the season. In spring and summer, they like eating different kinds of shoots; in autumn, they enjoy the leaves of bamboo; in winter, their main diet is bamboo roots.
While pandas are almost entirely vegetarian, they will sometimes branch out and eat other plants and even meat. About 1% of their diet comprises other plants and small rodents, such as pikas. As members of the bear family, giant pandas possess the digestive system of a carnivore, although they have evolved to depend almost entirely on bamboo.
In captivity, pandas also enjoy eating wheat, pumpkins, kidney beans, and livestock feed. They also love fruit, especially apples, and have been known to eat steamed corn bread and frozen ice with bits of apple inside them to cool down. Pandas have very little breast milk, so captive panda cubs are fed milk made from a mixture of milk, powdered milk, and various vitamins.
In summary, pandas eat:
- Bamboo (almost their entire diet)
- Other plants (1% of their diet)
- Small rodents, such as pikas (1% of their diet)
- Fruits, such as apples
- Vegetables, such as carrots and ginseng
- Meat (in captivity)
