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Why don't lions and tigers eat giant pandas? You see what pandas were called in ancient times

author:Bai Xiaosheng history said

We live on this blue planet and feel the magic of nature. We climb Mount Everest and touch the clouds high above, and we dive into the Mariana Trench to listen to the roar of the deep sea. From the vast grasslands of Africa to the deep rainforests of South America, from the mighty ice of the Arctic Ocean to the icy plateaus of Antarctica. In every corner of the world, countless beings live. They all follow the laws of survival in nature, and in the animal world, the weak prey on the strong. Animals that stand at the top of the food chain are often very fierce, such as the tiger known as the "king of all beasts" and the lion known as the "king of the steppe", they often have their own territory, within their own territory, hunting prey.

Why don't lions and tigers eat giant pandas? You see what pandas were called in ancient times

In addition to fierceness, there are also many cute animals in nature, such as giant pandas. This creature relies on its thick appearance and docile personality, "circle the fans countless". Nowadays, we can still see many cute videos about giant pandas on the Internet, and even some netizens said: This product knows that it is a "national treasure". Therefore, in people's eyes, giant pandas give people a weak and cute impression, so why do ferocious tigers and lions and other animals not eat giant pandas? Knowing what pandas were called in ancient times, you are suddenly enlightened.

Why don't lions and tigers eat giant pandas? You see what pandas were called in ancient times

Nowadays, with the influence of humans, there are fewer and fewer environments suitable for the survival of giant pandas, resulting in a sharp decline in numbers. Today's giant panda habitats are distributed in China's Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu and other places at an altitude of 2600 to 3500 meters in the dense bamboo forest, and to have a rich water source and suitable terrain. As a protected animal, the giant pandas in captivity in the base are guarded by special people, and even in the wild, there are nature reserves, so few animals can threaten their survival. In fact, giant pandas also have the potential for carnivores to eat meat, they have sharp teeth and amazing bite force. It is only because of the lack of opportunities to eat meat, and the small amount of meat is not enough to maintain the energy needed by the body, but the wild pandas still occasionally eat a little meat.

Why don't lions and tigers eat giant pandas? You see what pandas were called in ancient times

In addition, in ancient times, giant pandas also had another name, which was very different from their current habits and images - "iron-eating beasts". According to the Jin Dynasty's "Erya Shi Beast", "(Giant pandas) resemble bears, small heads, paralyzed feet, black and white barges, and can lick copper and iron and bamboo bones." Therefore, many experts and scholars believe that in the ancient times a long time ago, pandas liked to eat iron. To date, the oldest giant panda member ever discovered by humans, the First Panda, appeared in the late Miocene, which is about 8 million years old. Therefore, giant pandas can be called "living fossils".

Why don't lions and tigers eat giant pandas? You see what pandas were called in ancient times

In ancient China, there are also many documentary records about giant pandas, describing the habits of giant pandas. It is clearly pointed out in the literature that in addition to eating bamboo, pandas sometimes eat some copper and iron products. Even in ancient Chinese mythology, the tribal leader Xuan You in the ancient period rode the sacred beast panda to fight. Although there is no real historical record of these myths and stories, it also shows the extraordinary features of pandas to a certain extent.

Why don't lions and tigers eat giant pandas? You see what pandas were called in ancient times

Even now, there have been incidents of pandas eating iron. In 1981, in a giant panda breeding base in Sichuan, a giant panda named "Lili" accidentally ate an iron basin into his stomach without the keepers noticing. After the breeder found out, he was very worried, after all, the giant panda is a national treasure, and if there is any damage, he will have to pay the responsibility. Fortunately, after a few days, the keepers found fragments of iron that had not yet been digested in Lily's feces. Even the breeders did not expect that the giant panda, who looked thick and cute, was so "ferocious" that he directly ate the iron basin and was still unharmed.

Why don't lions and tigers eat giant pandas? You see what pandas were called in ancient times

From this point of view, the giant panda not only has a huge physique, but also has an amazing bite force, not only can bite the emerald bamboo, but also can crush the iron and copper products. Therefore, even fierce beasts such as tigers and lions may not be able to gain the upper hand in the fight with them, let alone prey. Even though it is difficult for pandas and tigers and lions to meet under protection today, the name "iron-eating beast" is not in vain. What do you think about this?

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