Pandas take lots of calories from bamboos

Bamboo shoots, leaves and stems are low in nutrients, calories and vitamins. 

That is why, even though, pandas eat a lot of bamboos, they need more to meet their daily requirements.

Red Panda eating bamboo | Image Credit: Cincinnati Zoo

Benefits of bamboo shoots to pandas

Fresh bamboo shoots are low in calories (carbohydrates, saturated fats and protein) compared to potatoes and tuna fish. 

The pandas eat 20 kg of bamboo shoots (including culms and leaves) daily to accumulate enough energy. 

In other words, 20 kg of Bambusa tulda shoots per day will provide the giant pandas with:

• 1384 g carbohydrates
• 96 g fat, and
• 738 g protein.

Are these a lot of calories to take in a day? According to NHS, the maximum calories a person should eat per day on average are

• 260 g carbohydrates,
• 70 g fats and
• 50 g protein.

Notably, an adult panda stands at 1.9 m and can weigh 150 kg to 180 kg. 

They are 3 – 5 times the size of an adult. 

So, if we take all the other factors into consideration, we can reliably say that giant pandas need to eat a lot of bamboos to stay healthy.

Is bamboo, really, good for pandas?

Some articles hinted that bamboos are low in nutrients. 

This is partly true because the culms, leaves and branches are fibrous. However, new bamboo shoots contain relatively high protein, amino acids and vitamins. 

Compared to potatoes and tuna fish, the new shoots are reasonably low in carbohydrates, fats and proteins, which are important sources of energy for the cells in the body. 

A calorie deficit will affect the pandas if they eat less bamboo. Above all, bamboo shoots are high in nutrients but low in calories. 

Pandas have to eat a lot to stay healthy.