Red Panda By Lefki Philippou

Animal’s Scientific name The Red Panda’s scientific name is t Ailurus fulgens, meaning fire-colored, or shining, cat.

Habitat Red pandas live in the mountains of Nepal, central China and northern Myanmar in rainy, high-altitude temperate forests and tropical forests.

Diet Red pandas eat bamboo shoots and bamboo leaf tips, stripping them off the stems with their mouths. They may also forage for roots, grasses and fallen fruits. Sometimes, they will eat eggs, insects, birds and small mammals as well, but they mostly stick to bamboo.

Weight and Size Red pandas are similar in size to the common house cat. They are 51cm to 66centimeters) long from head to rump, and their tail adds another 25cm to 51 cm. They weigh from 4.5kg to 9 kilograms. 

Descriptive traits Red panda communicates using the body language and different type of sounds. Specific whistle is used to alert others about the upcoming danger. Its tail is covered in red and white rings. Tail ensures balance during movement through the forest. Also, red panda wraps tail around the body during the night to prevent heat loss. Red panda is a solitary creature that gathers with other red pandas only during the mating season. Red panda spends most of its life in the trees. Red panda moves slowly and carefully on the ground.

Enemies and Threats Snow Leopards and Martens are the only real predators of the Red Panda along with Birds of Prey and small carnivores that prey on the smaller and more vulnerable cubs. The biggest threat to the Red Panda however is people who have affected this species mainly through deforestation of their incredibly unique habitats.

Lifespan The average lifespan of the red panda is 8-12 years in the wild but they can live up to 15 years in captivity.

How to protect and preserve the Red Panda Deforestation, we must not cut down trees in the forests, we must plant more trees. Reduce deaths by strengthening and enforcing hunting and poaching laws. Adults and children need more education on how to protect endangered species.