The Red Panda
Dwelling in the temperate forests of north east India, Nepal and China, these arboreal mammals share their last name with the giant panda. However unlike the latter, it does not belong to the bear family. Instead, scientists have proved that the red panda is closely related to skunks and raccoons.
Types of red panda
Two subspecies of the red panda are identified. The Western Red Panda and the Styan’s Red Panda. The former inhabits Nepal, Bhutan and parts of north east India and the later is found in the temperate forests of China and Myanmar as well. Considered to be a living fossil, some feel that red pandas are distantly related to the giant pandas.
Red panda anatomy and diet
The head and the body of the red panda measures around 56 to 63 cms in length. The length of the tail ranges from 37 cms to 47 cms. The body weight of a male red panda ranges somewhere between 3.7 to 6.2 kgs and that of a female ranges between 4.2 to 6 kgs. The thick fur on its body protects it from severe weather conditions. The red panda is most active at night, dusk and dawn. The daytime is spent sleeping on branches or tree hollows. It is territorial in nature and adult red pandas are mostly solitary. Diet of a red panda comprises mostly bamboos. They can also feed on nuts, roots, berries, grasses and sometimes on birds’ eggs as well.
Breeding among red panda
Every year during the months of June and July, the female red panda gives to its cubs which are generally quadruplets. Cubs are born blind only to be blessed with eyesight after three weeks of its birth. After a period of three months the cubs begin to venture out of their nests and they even begin to consume solid food.
A threatened species
However, despite all kinds of adorable features, the red panda happens to be a threatened species today. Highly prized for its fur, many red pandas are killed by the humans. The rise in population in countries like India, Nepal and China has led to deforestation to a large extent. This has forced the red panda to survive in far flung areas. The fur of the red panda is used in clothing by certain mountain cultures as well. Due to strict enforcement of government laws, few red pandas are hunted these days. However, constant deforestation remains to be a major threat for this creature.
Red panda conservation
WWF India is presently working hard to save to the red panda from extinction. Its area of action happens to be the Kanchenjunga landscape covering parts of Sikkim and north of West Bengal.
The red panda is essentially an endangered species and with government laws regarding its conservation, it is rather difficult to have one as pet these days.