Red Panda Introduction

The Red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is a mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List because the wild population is estimated at fewer than 10,000 mature individuals and continues to decline due to habitat loss, poaching, and accidental inbreeding. As their name suggests, they are related to the larger and more famous Giant panda, (although the exact closeness of their connection still remains uncertain to science) along with also sharing a number of characteristics with the raccoon and so Red pandas are classified in a family of their own. The Red panda is also called  by a number of different names in their native regions including the Lesser panda, the Red cat-bear and as the fire fox in Nepal. Like their much larger cousin, the Red panda relies on bamboo as their primary food source. The Red panda also has an extra wrist bone, ( just like the giant panda) which it uses to grasp the bamboo stalk while it fills its mouth with leaves. The Red panda is about the same size as a large housecat, with a cat-like face and a long bushy tail. Their rusty coloured fur covers their body with the exception of their almost white coloured ears, cheeks, muzzle and spots above their eyes. The Red panda also has reddish brown stripes that run down either side of their white muzzle, along with alternating light and dark rings on their tails. The Red panda has semi-retractable claws to aid climbing and stability amongst the branches and strong, tough jaws which they use to chew on bamboo they eat.