Red panda

Red panda

Opening statement

Red Panda are an endangered species living in the mountains of  Nepal, Buruma and central China. Their scientific name is Ailurus fulgens with its relatives the giant panda and the raccoon sharing the same tail markings with their own unique family, Ailuridae.

Appearance

Red pandas are similar to raccoons with the same tail markings just differently coloured. They are a reddish brown with rings around their long bushy tails on their heads are two cute black and white ears as well as their muzzle while the bottom of their feet are also white keeping them warm.

Diet

Just like giant pandas, the red pandas like to eat Bamboo shoots. They have a special small wrist structure which helps them hold onto the shoots. They also like to eat Fruits, Nuts, grass, leaves, eggs, Flowers and seeds.

Reproduction

The red pandas breeding season is in late fall until late winter and the wait for the babies are about 4 months. In a normal litter about 1 - 4 are born in late spring and summer. They build nests, use hollow tree trunks or a small cave for spots to give birth. The mother will take care of her cubs until they are adults which is when the next mating season begins.

Habitat

The red panda lives in forests that grow on mountains in the himalayas Bhutan, Nepal, India, Myanmar and China which usually have lots of food for them. But in most areas, red pandas are extinct and are rapidly declining in others.

General statement

Red panda numbers are quickly decreasing by climate change and us cutting down the forests and polluting the air. We need to think more responsibly about our future, be resilient by not letting it happen and RESPECT the red pandas lives and families!