[Explanation] Recently, a ranger in the Foping National Nature Reserve in Shaanxi witnessed a giant panda gnawing on a takin bone.
Do giant pandas that feed on bamboo sometimes eat meat for "tooth sacrifice"?
Sun Quanhui, a scientist at the World Association for the Protection of Animals, said that in terms of biological learning, giant pandas have obvious carnivorous characteristics.
[Concurrent] Sun Quanhui, Scientist of World Animal Protection Association
In terms of classification, the giant panda belongs to the panda family of the order Carnivora. It was first classified under the family Ursidae (before pandas became independent of the family). Its biological learning is actually very obvious in the characteristics of this carnivore. For example, they have two pairs of sharp canine teeth in their mouths, a structure that grows mainly by tearing the flesh.
[Explanation] Sun Quanhui introduced that during the last ice age on the earth that ended more than 10,000 years ago, giant pandas were forced to retreat to the Hengduan Mountains in China. Due to limited food resources, they could only eat more bamboo at that time.
In the long process of evolution, the habit of taking bamboo as the main food was finally formed.
[Concurrent] Sun Quanhui, Scientist of World Animal Protection Association
Scientists believe that before the arrival of the ice age, the (giant) panda is likely to be omnivorous. The so-called omnivorous means that it eats both plant food and animal food, which should be similar to the current bears.
But during the last ice age, many species were extinct, and the giant panda should be a relict species.
Under the special environment at that time, a very special kind of biological learning was formed at present, that is, it is a carnivore, but most of its daily food is bamboo.
[Explanation] Will giant pandas change their eating habits to carnivorous in the future?
Sun Quanhui believes that the possibility is unlikely.
[Concurrent] Sun Quanhui, Scientist of World Animal Protection Association
This possibility should not be large, unless some special major climate (changes) such as the last ice age or changes in the earth’s ecological environment occur again, otherwise it is unlikely to return to the previous ones. Such a state, because evolution is often one-way, if there is no special situation, it may still maintain the current state, still using bamboo as the main food, but occasionally it may also eat some animal food.
[Explanation] Sun Quanhui introduced that bamboo has high fiber content but low nutritional content, which makes wild pandas need to eat a lot to meet their survival needs.
Although the artificially raised giant pandas can eat corn nests, fruits and vegetables provided by the staff, they are still mainly vegetarian food such as bamboo.
Dong Zeyu reports from Beijing
Editor in charge: 【Luo Pan】