Panda Predators: These 6 Animals Kill and Eat Pandas

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) lives in the mountains of central China. Previously, pandas were not considered bears, but members of the Procyonidae family, much like raccoons. Everything changed in the 1980s. A DNA test revealed that the panda belongs to the bear family.

A Unique Bear

Pandas are special among bears. does not hibernate Baby pandas are very small and underdeveloped when they are born.

And a panda’s diet consists almost entirely of plants, with bamboo making up almost 99% of a bear’s diet. On rare occasions, giant pandas may eat crops such as wheat, pumpkins, kidney beans, and cattle fodder.

However, pandas are not strictly herbivores. Like other bears, they are omnivorous. Giant pandas eat egg whites, although very rarely. Pandas have been known to eat pikas, rodents, insects and even carrion.

Mature Great Pandas

The panda has a cute and cuddly expression. The internet is flooded with videos of pandas playing, rolling head over heels, and showing what could be called adorable clumsiness.

It’s hard to imagine a giant panda going on a rampage, but he’s a real bear. Like all bears, he can and will protect himself. Adult pandas can weigh up to 200-300 pounds. It can run up to 20 mph.

Its claws and teeth can be deadly. It takes strong jaw muscles to chew through the tough, fibrous bamboo that makes up nearly all of a panda’s diet. In fact, pandas have a bite force similar to that of hippos, polar bears, tigers, brown bears and lions.

Panda Cubs

Adult giant pandas are basically peaceful animals, but they are very capable when they need to defend themselves. Baby pandas, on the other hand, are completely defenseless.

Like most bears, adult pandas have no predators. However, some animals sometimes make their meals out of baby pandas. Panda cubs are very immature when they are born. At birth, juveniles are 15 centimeters long and weigh only 100 grams. That’s about 1/900th the weight of a mother panda.

The young are blind, hairless and utterly helpless. Babies do not start crawling until about 3 months old, and ride on their mother’s back until about 6 months old. Panda cubs are not weaned until they are about one year old.

These boys are completely defenseless during the first year of life. A mother panda must be vigilant to protect her cubs. Pandas have natural predators in their habitat that will not hesitate to prey on baby giant pandas.

What Eats Pandas?

1. Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)

Snow leopards hunt in mountainous areas where pandas live. Interestingly, the snow leopard is not actually a leopard. They are genetically more closely related to tigers.

The snow leopard’s range spans 12 countries and covers more than 770,000 square miles, but 60% of his natural range is in China. This cat is well suited for hunting in the harsh mountains of China.

The surprisingly thick fur protects them from the cold. The snow leopard’s large paws act as snowshoes. Ice-coloured fur with black rosettes provides excellent camouflage.

The snow leopard’s favorite prey is blue sheep. We also hunt Argali wild sheep, pike, marmots, ibex and hares. However, like most big cats, the snow leopard will take any prey. Baby pandas aren’t usually at the top of Snow Leopard’s menu, but cats don’t want to miss out on a quick meal.

2. Yellow-Throated Marten (Martes flavigula)

Throat martens are widespread in Asia. The yellow marten, also known as halza or chutraur, is the largest of all martens. Adult specimens weigh about 10 pounds. Because this marten is wild, it is not often hunted, even by very large predators.

Throat martens are omnivorous, eating not only fruits and nectar, but also preying on animals much larger than themselves. Weighing in at 10 pounds, this predator preys on mice, rabbits, snakes, lizards, pheasants and even small deer. Sometimes yellow martens catch panda babies.

3. Golden Jackal (Canis aureus)

A golden jackal is at least ten times heavier than an adult giant panda, so the chances of a jackal chasing an adult panda are virtually zero. However, this predator will take panda cubs if given the chance.

Pandas are much larger than golden jackals, but jackals can win races with relative ease. Pandas can run up to 20 miles per hour, while jackals can reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour in a short time. If a jackal catches a baby panda, it is unlikely that the mother panda will chase it.

4. Dhole (Cuon alpinus)

Also known as the Asian Wild Dog, the dhole once lived in a range that covered almost half of the world. They are now seriously endangered. Only 2,000 wild dholes are estimated to remain.

These wild dogs hunt in packs of up to 12 animals and have been known to attack large carnivores such as leopards. This is largely due to competition among carnivores for prey within the area rather than the dholes themselves actively preying on leopards.

It’s possible that herds of dholes hunt down adult giant pandas, but there seems to be no documented evidence for this event. Giant pandas do not engage in predatory competition with panda bears, so there is little reason to do so.

But these wild dogs poach baby pandas for food. Dholes can reach speeds of 75 miles per hour. So this would be another case where if a baby panda is caught, the mother has virtually no chance of rescuing it.

5. Asiatic black bear (Ursus tibetanus)

Asian black bears (also known as Asian black bears) feed mainly on cherries, bamboo shoots, leaves, grasses, and herbs. However, like other bears, they are omnivorous.

Although this bear often receives egg whites from termites and other insects, it does not refuse to receive egg whites from time to time. Asian black bears also hunt birds and rodents. There have also been rare cases of bears chasing baby pandas.

6. Birds of Prey

Baby pandas are not only dangerous on the ground. It can also come from heaven. Several species of birds of prey, including the great spotted eagle (Clanga clanga), fly over the Giant’s panda habitat. Birds of prey like the great spotted eagle are agile and formidable predators.

They usually prey on fish, amphibians, reptiles, other birds and small mammals. Great spotted eagles are picky eaters and will even eat carrion if given the chance.

Baby pandas aren’t the main food source for raptors in China, but it would be nice to have a mother giant panda keep her eyes on the sky. When birds like the great spotted eagle see an opportunity to catch a chick, they are unlikely to miss it.