What Are the Natural Enemies of the Giant Pandas?

Big Cats

• While they prefer to prey on sheep, ibix and alpine birds or rodents, leopards especially snow and common leopards, will also prey on giant pandas. Leopards attack pandas that are weak or vulnerable: panda cubs, aging pandas and pandas that are sick or weak. The common leopard occurs in all of the same regions as the giant panda. The Asian golden cat is another species of big cat that will attack giant panda cubs and juveniles; it preys on pandas in the Liangshan and Qionglai regions. The clouded leopard preys on young pandas in the Liangshan region as well.

Jackals

• Golden jackals are canines that travel in packs and hunt small birds, mammals and reptiles. They frequently scavenge food from other predators. However, jackals will also attack pandas that they perceive to be vulnerable, including young, ill or aging pandas. Jackals circumvent the panda's powerful jaws by launching a sneak attack: they jump onto the panda's back and attack its eyes first. Wolves are a related species that also try to attack giant pandas on occasion.

Yellow-throated Martens

• Yellow-throated martens can be found preying on pandas in the Minshan, Qionglai, and Liangshan regions of China. These martens are carnivores that resemble weasels, but martens are bigger. While their typical diet consists of smaller vertebrates and invertebrates, along with the occasional piece of fruit, yellow-throated martens have been known to prey on animals that are the same size or bigger than they are, including baby giant pandas.

Panda Defenses

• Giant pandas are not aggressive; they are peaceful creatures that typically try to avoid confrontation. However, if they are unable to escape, they will fight back with brute strength -- an adult panda is almost twice as heavy as an adult human. Pandas also have powerful jaw muscles that are well adapted to crushing bamboo stalks, but pandas can also give a nasty bite. Giant pandas are also skilled climbers and swimmers, which gives them multiple avenues of escape if confronted. As a result of their defensive abilities, pandas have few natural enemies and are worthy opponents for any creature that does try to attack.