The Red Panda, an Endangered Species

Dwarfed by Its Black-and-White Relative, This Panda Goes Unnoticed

In 2008, Paramount Pictures released the animated film, Kung Fu Panda. The lead character was a bumbling giant panda bear named Po, voiced by Jack Black. Kids immediately recognized Po's fat, black-and-white-furred exterior as that of a giant panda. When kids first saw Po's teacher, Master Shifu (voiced by Dustin Hoffman), they probably had a much more difficult time distinguishing what type of animal the character represented. Was it some weird kind of bunny-raccoon-mouse combination?

Fortunately, all is revealed. Po is not the only panda bear in the film. Shifu, too, is a panda - a red panda.

What is a Red Panda?

Red pandas, also known as red cat bears or lesser pandas, make up the species Ailurus fulgens. They resemble raccoons in size and shape and are not much bigger than the average house cat. As their name implies, their coat is reddish-brown with white areas, particularly around the ears, cheeks, nose, and eyes. They are approximately 38-44 inches long, not quite half of which is made up of their long, bushy tails. These tails are ringed and help red pandas to balance and to keep warm. They have sharp claws, built for climbing, and cat-like whiskers. They rarely weigh more than 14 lbs.

Red pandas generally live from eight to ten years. These animals prefer to live alone, except during mating season. Females care for their young for about three months. Males have little to do with their offspring.

Where Do Red Pandas Live?

Red pandas mostly live in the Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces of China, Myanmar, and Nepal. They live at cool, high-altitude climates, up to 13,000 feet above sea level. They are scattered amongst the Himalayan foothills, where there is plenty of rainfall and thick forest.

According to the World Wildlife Federation's (WWF) website, red pandas are divided into two sub-species:

"The Styan's red panda (Ailurus fulgens styani) is found in China’s Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and northern Myanmar. The western red panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens) is native to Nepal, Bhutan and the northern Indian states of Assam and Sikkim."

Red pandas spend much of their time above ground, climbing and sleeping in trees.

What Do Red Pandas Eat?

Red pandas are primarily herbivores. Like their giant brethren, red pandas feed off bamboo. They bend the shoots in order to reach their leaves. Although the pandas' primary food sources are bamboo leaves, they also eat berries, nuts, and insects.

Why Are Red Pandas Endangered?

According to the WWF, red pandas are "highly endangered." They were given this dubious distinction in 1988. Their habitat, like that of the giant panda, is shrinking due to deforestation. Bamboo forests in China and Nepal have been cut down so that the land may be put to agricultural uses. The plant is also used as timber for homes and firewood.

Although these pandas are protected internationally and within Nepal, "over 75% of potential red panda habitat falls outside protected areas," says the WWF. Some sources, such as the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, estimate that less than 2,500 red pandas remain in the wild.

In addition to loss of habitat, red pandas must avoid predators. Although they have some natural enemies, such as snow leopards, the pandas have humans to fear the most. According to the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology website, red pandas are "illegally hunted and sold to zoos or killed for their skin. Very few zoos purchase these illegal specimens, making this a fairly unproductive business, but skins can be found in local villages and are used in cultural ceremonies."

What Can Be Done to Protect Red Pandas?

Noble organizations like the WWF and the Red Panda Network greatly assist in educating the public about the red panda's plight. The WWF and its partners work closely with Nepal's government to study these spirited animals, to conserve the species and its habitats, and to inform local communities about dangers threatening red pandas.

The objective of the Red Panda Network's Red Panda Project "is to conduct non-invasive, cost-effective status surveys throughout the red panda’s range by 2011." The Project is conducting extensive research to obtain baseline population figures in order to propose an effective species conservation program.

Zoos, too, play a hand in conservation. According to the Red Panda Network:

"More than 80 zoos currently have red pandas, and almost all of them participate in a management program to ensure the survival of a viable zoo population. In North America, the red panda population management program is called the Red Panda Species Survival Program (SSP). The SSP keeps a studbook of all red pandas on the continent, determines which animals should be mated, and develops long-term research and management strategies for the species. Other management programs have been created in Japan, Europe, Australia, and China."

Certainly, the efforts of these organizations are commendable. But real conservation efforts must come from the governments of China, Myanmar, and Nepal. The government of Nepal has done more than most when it comes to protecting an endangered animal. Still, its people depend on the natural resources from the red panda's habitat to survive. According to the Red Panda Network, these people lack viable alternatives. The Network hopes to "create a new system in which conserving the red panda's prime habitat will actually benefit the surrounding communities."

Until that happens, the red panda's ecosystem will continue to diminish. But endangered animals that were worse off than these pandas have been brought back from the brink of extinction, largely due to the efforts of organizations like the WWF and animal-friendly governments. Only time will tell if the red panda will thrive or go the way of the dodo.