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There are a considerable number of predators featured in the various Kung Fu Panda properties including Tigress (a tiger), Tai Lung (a leopard), Boss Wolf (a wolf) and Viper (a snake), to name but a few.

As far as I'm aware, cats, snakes and wolves are obligate carnivores in the real world, but they seem to be wholly vegetarian in the Kung Fu Panda films and shows, feeding on noodles, dumplings and veg.

Do we ever see anyone eating anything that's not vegetarian?

enter image description here

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    Out of universe theory. A society in manga Beastars which highly ressemble Kung Fu Panda. Predator main food is high calory food. They can eat meat (a.k.a others animals) but they may get addicted and become serial killer.
    – someoneuseless
    Commented Sep 16, 2020 at 8:54
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    Related: Is meat/fish eaten in the Kung Fu Panda universe?
    – TARS
    Commented Sep 16, 2020 at 9:07
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    @someoneuseless Note that in the real world, animals that are obligate carnivores are so because they can't synthesize some micronutrients which aren't found in large quantities in most plant foods (for cats, mainly taurine) and also because their digestive tracts aren't adapted to extract nutrients from plant matter. It has nothing to do with the calorie content of plant foods vs meat. As a side note, since domestic dogs aren't obligate carnivores, I'd be surprised if wolves are.
    – Vaelus
    Commented Sep 16, 2020 at 16:54
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    @Valorum I agree; the types of vegetarian diets shown in Kung Fu Panda would be very bad for a cat's health and almost certainly fatal. However, it seems technologically feasible, at least, that some sort of fortified vegetarian diet could be created which is healthful for cats, since all of the nutrients they need are either found in, or can be synthesized from plant products. But it would definitely not look anything like a typical human vegetarian diet. I have no idea about snakes though.
    – Vaelus
    Commented Sep 16, 2020 at 17:24
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    @Vaelus Interestingly one of the main genetic differences between wolves and domestic dogs is that the latter are more able to digest the starch that humans often leave in their waste.
    – Sean Condon
    Commented Sep 16, 2020 at 18:34

2 Answers 2

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42

From this answer on a related question on Movies & TV the answer would be no and that all the characters are vegetarian as explained by John Stevenson.

Although there’s also a tie-in with McDonald’s, which will offer Happy Meals with toys inside, it should be noted that noodles and tofu are the mainstays of the movie characters’ diets. No carnivores in this cartoon. "Everybody is vegetarian, even our predatory characters—otherwise it got too weird," explains Stevenson.

how stuff works, Inside 'Kung Fu' Panda

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    You want weird? In the VeggieTales series, one of the characters is a talking tomato. Pizza exists in the setting. I'm curious to know what the sauce on the pizza is made from.
    – EvilSnack
    Commented Sep 18, 2020 at 18:35
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    @EvilSnack - Worthy of its own question, perhaps. That being said, I'm seeing plenty of pizza but all with pepperoni and cheese and bread, but no tomato sauce
    – Valorum
    Commented Sep 18, 2020 at 19:11
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Nothwithstanding the quote from the co-director of the first film that "everyone is vegetarian", there do seem to be several instances where we see animals prepared and eaten as food, although this may be a continuity error.

enter image description here Grubs are boiled and served in a stew in KFP:PoD - Poison in the Pit of Plum

enter image description here King prawns are served 'shell-on' in KFP:PoD - A Game of Fists

The Dreamworks licenced first-reader book Po's Tasty Training shows Po getting ready to eat a range of meat-based foods; Lobster, slug, clam and frog.

enter image description here

Terrifyingly, the tie-in book Kung Fu Panda 2 : Po & Ping's recipe storybook ("learn how to make some of the Ping family's secret recipes!") features a wide range of animals that we know to be intelligent being eaten, including chicken, pork and beef.

enter image description here

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    +1 but I imagine this is the whole "do these really count as animals?" argument, especially the grubs.
    – TheLethalCarrot ♦
    Commented Sep 16, 2020 at 9:01
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    @TheLethalCarrot - One of the main characters is a stick-insect.
    – Valorum
    Commented Sep 16, 2020 at 9:04
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    Maybe they are just taking a bath.
    – SJuan76
    Commented Sep 16, 2020 at 9:16
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    @SJuan76 - And the prawns are hanging out by the pool?
    – Valorum
    Commented Sep 16, 2020 at 9:17
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    It looks like more like a contest of holding their breath.
    – SJuan76
    Commented Sep 16, 2020 at 9:18

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