Zoo database

Red panda

Ailurus fulgens

Natural diet Red panda

Bamboo
Grasses

Due to its jaw, teeth and feet, red pandas are technically carnivores. However, they have adapted to a highly specialized herbivorous bamboo diet. Their diet consists for 95% out of bamboo leaves and shoots. However, during the fall, opportunistically some fruits, roots, insects, bird eggs and grasses are consumed as well.

Feeding advice Red panda

Feed quantity per day

5-10% of body weight

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 5 kg and eats 10% of its body weight, it will get

5 x 0.1 = 0.5 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

5% Concentrates
95% Grass, lucerne and other roughages

Proportions (fresh product)

0.05 x 0.5 kg = 25 g concentrates
0.95 x 0.5 kg = 475 g grass, lucerne and other roughages

Diet suggestions

In moderation

Leafy vegetables

Not recommended

Fruits

Additional advice

Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least two feeding moments per day.
When bamboo is seasonal or not available, it can be replaced with grass hay.
Food intake is higher during the winter. During this period, feeding ad libitum is recommended.
Stimulate foraging behaviour by hiding, stacking or hanging their feed. Besides this, scatter feeding is also a good option (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

Obesity
Dental disease

Feed quantity per day

Sample percentage calculation

Feed composition

Proportions (fresh product)

DK Red Panda Hi-fibre Diet

DK Leaf-eater S

Michiel Derks

Director Petfood & Zoos