Dietary Patterns in Giant Pandas Explained
Gastrointestinal problems and stunted growth from poor nutrition are the top causes of premature death of giant pandas, which can live up to 30 years in captivity. Although physiologically giant pandas have the digestive tract of a carnivore, they subsist on an almost entirely bamboo-based diet. With Morris Animal Foundation funding, researchers from the Memphis Zoological Society evaluated the nutritional composition of bamboo shoots compared to mature bamboo and related these findings to the dietary preferences and health of pandas. They found that there are seasonal differences in the nutritional components of bamboo that correlate with panda foraging behavior. Pandas apparently select plant parts for specific nutrient contents and select younger bamboo shoots for their high protein, fat and energy content. This study concluded that to ensure the health of captive pandas, they should be fed more bamboo shoots than may be typically offered in captivity and should have plenty of stems from various species of bamboo during the spring. Knowing the reasons for pandas’ dietary selections could positively affect nutritional health and even captive reproduction for this endangered member of the bear family. (D08ZO-027)
Posted by MAFon June 27, 2011.
Categories: Animal health, Wildlife health
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