Why do pandas eat bamboo?

Pandas eat bamboo because their ancestors adapted to a place where bamboo was plentiful and other foods were harder to get. Over many generations, pandas with stronger jaws and better ways to hold stalks survived. Bamboo became their main food, even though they are still bears.

The awkward part is that bamboo does not give a panda much energy. Their gut is still built more like a meat-eater’s than a grass-eater’s, so they must chew for much of the day and choose tender shoots or leaves when the season offers them.