While pandas do eat a LOT of bamboo, they don't consume 3 times their body weight in a day.
Here's a breakdown:
* Actual Consumption: A giant panda typically eats 12-38 kg (26-84 pounds) of bamboo per day.
* Body Weight: An adult giant panda weighs around 80-125 kg (176-276 pounds).
Therefore, a panda eats roughly 10-47% of their body weight in bamboo daily, not 3 times.
The myth probably arose because pandas eat almost constantly, spending up to 14 hours a day munching on bamboo, making it seem like an enormous amount.