Bear

Pandas are bears that lost their umami receptors through evolution, leading them to eat bamboo instead of meat. However, their digestive systems remain carnivore-like, digesting only 17% of what they consume. To compensate, pandas spend about 14 hours a day eating.

The English word "bear" was originally a euphemism meaning "the brown one." Ancient people feared or revered the bear so much that they avoided its true name, and the substitute became permanent. The Russian медведь similarly derives from a euphemism meaning "honey eater."