# Wildebeests in China **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildebeests-in-china/608837 "2012-01-08T18:42:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildebeests-in-china/608837/1 "2012-01-08T18:42:58Z")
[China Daily](http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2011-12/31/c_131337494.htm) recently reported that a giant panda was photographed eating a wildebeest. Are they referring to the same animal as the common African wildebeest, and does this animal occur in the wild in China? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildebeests-in-china/608837/2 "2012-01-08T18:51:03Z")
No, the two species of wildebeest (genus _Connochaetes_) only occur in Africa. Whatever the panda is eating, it isn’t a wildebeest. That’s probably a mistranslation of whatever it is. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildebeests-in-china/608837/3 "2012-01-09T15:11:55Z")
Giant pandas only eat bamboo anyway. ETA To the best of my knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildebeests-in-china/608837/4 "2012-01-09T15:46:50Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Giant pandas only eat bamboo anyway. > > ETA To the best of my knowledge. Presumably it because it is because most people believe that, that this is a story. Although pandas mostly subsist on bamboo, they do like to eat certain other things, including small mammals, when they can catch them. I have gnu idea what it is eating in this case, though. I suppose it is some sort of carrion. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildebeests-in-china/608837/5 "2012-01-09T15:54:15Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > … they do like to eat certain other things, including small mammals, when they can catch them. As it happens, so do cows. > [@njtt](#): > > I have gnu idea what it is eating in this case, though. I suppose it is some sort of carrion. We’ll have to assume it was a wild beast. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildebeests-in-china/608837/6 "2012-01-09T16:09:56Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Giant pandas only eat bamboo anyway. > > ETA To the best of my knowledge. Did you click on the link in the OP? The photo proves they will occasionally eat meat. Which since they are bears, is no great surprise. As has been mentioned, other herbivores such as cattle and deer will sometimes eat meat. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildebeests-in-china/608837/7 "2012-01-09T16:14:41Z")
I did, but too late. ---
**Author:** ![Enilno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58f4c7/32.png) [@Enilno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enilno)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildebeests-in-china/608837/8 "2012-01-09T18:16:38Z")
In the Chinese version they were described as eating a 牛羚, which is the word for wildebeest. However, they probably meant 羚牛 instead, or [Takin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takin), which are native to the Sichuan region. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildebeests-in-china/608837/9 "2012-01-09T18:21:26Z")
> [@Enilno](#): > > In the Chinese version they were described as eating a 牛羚, which is the word for wildebeest. However, they probably meant 羚牛 instead, or [Takin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takin), which are native to the Sichuan region. The carcass shown in the photo is consistent with it being a Takin. There would be few if any other animals that large in panda habitat. > [@Floater](#): > > I did, but too late. It’s always a good idea to read the OP (including links) before responding to a thread (especially in GQ).😉 ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildebeests-in-china/608837/10 "2012-01-09T19:16:53Z")
Ok, I knew that pandas ate meat on ocassion, but seeing one going to town on a carcass like that (and in night vision, to boot) is a bit… creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildebeests-in-china/608837/11 "2012-01-09T23:42:30Z")
> [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](#): > > … seeing one going to town on a carcass like that (and in night vision, to boot) is a bit… creepy. The Giant Panda Code of Conduct restricts observable behavior to actions fully consistent with a cute, cuddly image (they’re actually not all that crazy about bamboo, but they understand it looks good and are willing to be seen eating it on a sort of “take one for the team” basis). They love a good rack of ribs; this guy was hungry and no doubt not quite up to speed on the finer points of IR-activated cameras - so we shouldn’t judge this transgression too harshly. ---
**Author:** ![ChickenLegs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@ChickenLegs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChickenLegs)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildebeests-in-china/608837/12 "2012-01-10T01:55:00Z")
Eats, shoots, and leaves. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wildebeests-in-china/608837/13 "2012-01-10T01:56:29Z")
> [@ChickenLegs](#): > > Eats, shoots, and leaves. Eats meat, shoots, and leaves.