Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Giant Pandas are found in mountainous areas of southwestern China, mostly in Sichuan provence. They live in bamboo forests at elevations between 8,500 and 9,800 feet (2,600 and 3,000 m), where the climate is cool and wet. Giant Pandas are herbivores with bamboo making up 99% of their diet. An adult giant panda in the wild ingests about 28 pounds (12 kg) of fresh bamboo per day (approx. 10,000 pounds per year). They live to be about 18 to 20 years old in the wild and may live to be over 30 years old in captivity.