Red pandas primarily eat bamboo, which makes up about 85% to 95% of their diet. They selectively feed on the most nutritious parts such as bamboo leaf tips and tender shoots, especially favoring one or two species of bamboo in their habitat

. Besides bamboo, red pandas also consume a variety of other foods to supplement their diet, including:

• Fruits and berries
• Roots, grass, lichens, flowers, and bark
• Insects, bird eggs, small mammals (like mice and rats), and occasionally small birds and lizards, especially by pregnant females

Because their digestive systems are more adapted to meat, red pandas digest only about a quarter of the bamboo they eat, so they must consume large amounts daily-up to 20-30% of their body weight-to meet their energy needs

. In captivity, their diet is often supplemented with leaf-eater biscuits, fruits (such as apples, grapes, bananas, blueberries), and other nutritious treats to ensure balanced nutrition

. In summary, red pandas are specialized bamboo eaters but are omnivorous, occasionally eating meat and a variety of plant materials to supplement their diet. Their reliance on bamboo, combined with their limited digestive efficiency, requires them to spend many hours feeding daily