Animal Encounters XIII

The Red Panda

The red panda is a raccoon-like creature from the Asian continent. It can be found in Bhutan, India, Nepal, Laos, Myanmar, and China. For many decades the taxonomic classification of the panda was under debate as both the red panda and the distantly related giant panda share characteristics of both bears and raccoons. At first glance it may have a raccoon-like appearance. The red panda's fur is long, thick and fuzzy to protect it against rain and cold and its colour perhaps helps the panda to blend with the reddish moss and white lichen growing on the fir trees of its mountainous habitat at up to 5000 m altitude. These pandas have fur on the soles of their feet to aid grip on wet branches and to keep them warm when walking on snow. They are 50 -60 cm long and weigh between 3 and 6 kg.

They are excellent climbers, using their strong claws to grasp branches. The jaws are powerful and the teeth and forelimbs are specially adapted for manipulating and crushing bamboo shoots and leaves, which make up 95% of their diet. Red pandas are nocturnal, spending most of their day asleep in trees. As their bamboo diet is low in nutrition, sleeping for much of the day may help save energy.

They are an endangered species and the major threat to the red panda is habitat destruction. The loss of the forests which support the bamboo continues at an alarming rate, due to demand for land and timber by increasing human populations in China and Nepal. Did you know that the word panda comes from the Nepalese 'Nigalya ponya' which means bamboo eater? The red panda is also known as the lesser panda or red cat bear. In China it is called 'hon ho' or 'fire fox'.

Look into my eyes .....