August 3, 2022 by Marjorie R. Rogers, MA (English), Certified Consultant
Baby pandas are born blind and weigh only about five ounces. Their mother’s milk is very rich and helps them to grow quickly. After they are weaned, they begin to eat bamboo leaves.
They eat a lot of bamboo – up to 80 pounds a day! As they get older, they eat less bamboo and more meat.
If you’ve ever seen a baby panda, you know that they are absolutely adorable. But what do these little guys eat?
Baby pandas are born blind and weigh only about 4 ounces.
For the first few months of their life, they rely on their mother’s milk for nourishment. After 6 months or so, they begin to wean off of milk and start eating solid food.
Bamboo is the primary food source for pandas of all ages.
In fact, an adult panda can consume up to 40 pounds of bamboo per day! While pandas will eat other plants and even meat on occasion, bamboo makes up 99% of their diet.
So there you have it!
Baby pandas drink milk for the first few months of their lives and then transition to a mostly bamboo diet as they get older.
Credit: www.chinahighlights.com
What Do You Feed a Baby Panda?
A baby panda’s diet consists of mostly bamboo. They will also eat other plants, fruits, and vegetables.
What Do Baby Pandas Eat Besides Bamboo?
As bamboo is the mainstay of the giant panda’s diet, pandas in captivity are fed a diet that consists mostly of bamboo. However, baby pandas also eat other things besides bamboo.
In the wild, baby pandas will eat small insects and other invertebrates.
They may also eat some plant material, but this is usually only a small part of their diet. In captivity, baby pandas are often fed a diet that includes milk formula, vegetables, fruits, and meat.
Bamboo is not an easy food to digest and it takes a lot of energy for giant pandas to break it down.
This is why they spend so much time eating and why they need to consume such large quantities of bamboo each day.
What Do Baby Pandas Drink?
Baby pandas drink their mother’s milk for the first few months of their lives. After that, they start to eat bamboo and other plants.
Do Baby Pandas Eat Meat?
No, baby pandas do not eat meat. They are born with a high level of protein in their milk which helps them to grow quickly. After they are weaned, they begin to eat bamboo shoots and leaves.
What do PANDAS eat? ? All about the Panda Bear Diet!
Where Do Pandas Live?
Pandas are bears that are native to China. The Chinese name for the panda is large bear cat. There are two species of pandas, the giant panda and the red panda.
Giant pandas live in central-western and southwestern China in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. They once lived in lowland areas of southern and eastern China. Red pandas live in the mountains of Nepal, northern Myanmar (Burma), central China, and Sichuan province.
Most pandas live in temperate forest at elevations between 5,000 – 10,000 feet (1,500 – 3 000 meters).
The habitat where giant pandas live has experienced a lot of deforestation over the years due to human activity such as logging and farming. As a result, giant pandas have been pushed up into higher altitudes where they have less bamboo to eat because it doesn’t grow as well at those elevations.
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Conclusion
As most people know, pandas are an endangered species. In China, the panda is a national treasure. So, what do baby pandas eat?
Bamboo make up 99% of a panda’s diet. Adult pandas can eat as much as 20 to 40 pounds of bamboo each day. Baby pandas are weaned off their mother’s milk at about 18 months old and start to eat bamboo shoots and leaves.
By the time they’re two years old, they’re eating mostly bamboo.
About Author (Marjorie R. Rogers)
The inspiring mum of 6 who dedicates her time to supporting others. While battling with her own demons she continues to be the voice for others unable to speak out. Mental illness almost destroyed her, yet here she is fighting back and teaching you all the things she has learned along the way. Get Started To Read …
