But aren't bears, at least brown bears and polar bears considered to be predators, even apex predators? They're in order called "carnivora" so I think they might have evolved to be carnivores and predators. That being said pandas aren't predators. I think you meant that we aren't obligatory carnivores?

I'd say that apes and humans are less predatory than bears. But some species do hunt for food.

[–] Hestia@hexbear.net 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Pandas aren't predators because at some point in their evolutionary history they lost the ability to taste meat. So they eat bamboo instead, but still have the digestive system of a carnivore so it's an extremely inefficient way of getting calories.

[–] novibe@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Bears have omnivore digestive systems tho.

Being from the Carnivora family doesn’t make you an obligatory carnivore.

(Though their last common ancestor was most likely an obligatory carnivore yes. But bears are a very old group, and they have evolved away from obligatory meat eating a long long time ago. We also have some adaptations away from being herbivores for example - shorter intestines than gorillas etc.).

[–] Hestia@hexbear.net 1 points 2 months ago

I never said it did? And I'm specifically referring to pandas, which do have the digestive system of a carnivore. Sure they're still capable of digesting non-meat, but it's inefficient.

[–] novibe@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Bears (with the exception of polar bears) actually hunt very little. Black bears barely eat meat even. Their diet is mainly composed of nuts and berries. They eat meat if they find carcasses or are desperate enough.

And like even deer hunt rabbits for food if they are desperate. You wouldn’t call them “predators”.